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aikoiya · 1 year ago

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LoZ: TotK - Meeting One's Match (Overall Story Summary) Part 1

TW: Mentions of past rape & child enslavement (though, it's only mentioned as past trauma & is acknowledged as disgusting); panic attack; mention of death of loved ones, multiple, both canon & non-canon; mentions of child abandonment; brief sexual intercourse, but it's between 2 consenting adults; mention of pegging & strap-on use; mention of concubines, both male & female; mild violence; intrusive thoughts & pseudo-possession; mentions of kinks, but really only mentions; mentioned child sacrifice & implied torture of a minor, very bad, horrible stuff; possible others that I can't think of off the top of my head rn.

Just because they are in the story does not mean that I condone it.

Also, any risqué or sexual content will be marked with: *Risqué Content Warning* before ending marked with *End of Risqué Content*. So, if you're uncomfortable with that sort of thing, I'd skip to the "End of Risqué Content" marker.

And, I am very open to criticism so long as it is constructive in nature & presented politely. In fact, I encourage it! In fact, any advice would be fantastic!

Also, very long post.

People I wish to read this (if they want to): @skyloftian-nutcase, @sunset-peril, @shade-pup-cub, @bigsoftmarshmallow

Before reading, I'd recommend going here first: Nemma Masamuna Profile & Personality

MOM Part 1 & MOM Part 2.

And, for the rest of my Meeting One's Match stuff, go to my LoZ My Fanfic Masterlist.

---

This is Masamuna (正むナ) Nanema (凪音真; なねあ; intended to mean “a calm sound of truth”), typically referred to as Nemma or Nema (ねあ), my Sheikah Fem!OC.

She is the most powerful woman in all of Hyrule. At least, based on pure skill, strategy, & martial prowess. She could likely even take on both Sonia & Zelda given enough time.

For what Nemma wears throughout the story, look at Nemma's Attire.

Her paternal grandfather was a Sheikah blacksmith, her paternal grandmother was an ex-Sheikah warrior who retired & opened a little restaurant, her father a Kagehei (Shadow Warrior), her mother was a half-Sheikah/half-Hylian warrior, & her maternal grandmother was a Hylian. Which is where her eye color comes from as most Sheikah tend to have brown, gray, or black eyes naturally.

Her grandfather, unfortunately, died 2 years before the beginning of this story. However, Nemma's grandmother, Ayamay, is still very much alive.

After Nemma was born & it was revealed that she was a girl, her father had left for the Salari Encampment, so as to fight in the conflict against the Rito in Hebra, & her mother had left her not long after. So, she was raised by her grandparents. Her father, Masashai, still came back occasionally, but it was obvious that he'd wanted a son as he did not show much fatherly interest in her. However, she never saw her mother again.

Nemma was mostly raised by her grandparents; her grandfather, Takka, having taught her the ins & outs of blacksmithing. While his wife, her grandmother, Ayamay, taught her all she knew about cooking & toxins.

She comes from a long, ancient line of Sheikah blacksmiths, their techniques passed down over thousands of years, & this is a very important part of her identity. Her grandfather, Takka, having been one himself & taught her everything he knew about the craft. He has since died 2 years before the start of the story due to lung cancer as a result of improper safety when handling the forge. (His skin was actually blue due to working with iron so much without proper safety gear. It's due to this that Nemma is diligent in using protective gear.)

She is a smithing prodigy & while she is able to make damn near anything that can be forged from metal, what she's most interested in is weaponsmithing, specifically bladesmithing. Part of the reason being that it's at the intersection of most of her interests. The primary ones being blacksmithing & being a Sheikah warrior. Thus any weapon she makes does not degrade with use as she always makes sure to keep them well-maintained & sharpened. She also always has Advanced Rocktorok Wax on her at all times which automatically restores her weapon if it breaks. Just in case.

She dreams of creating a series of weapons that fully harnesses the power of the elements. Which is partly why she's become so interested in the Gerudo style of magical gemstone infusion or Zennō.

Anyway, the Toketa Hōseki Shita-Kitae (Molten Gem-Folding) & Kaijū-Hone Yakin (Monster-Bone Metallurgy) techniques are ones that she created herself, being 2 separate, but connected attempts of hers to do so. The Hōseki Shita-Kitae being an evolution of the Hachi Shita-Kitae (Eight-Folding) technique, which has been passed down among Sheikah blacksmiths for several thousands of generations.

The elemental weapons series from BotW (Flamespear, Flameblade, Great Flameblade, Thunderspear, Thunderblade, Great Thunderblade, Frostspear, Frostblade, & Great Frostblade) were actually inspired by her work. Though, she had never taught anyone her techniques during her original time period, so the series was more so an attempt to replicate her techniques.

More than anything though, she wants a husband who can, if not outright beat her, then at least match her as a warrior.

Despite her seemingly masculine interests, beyond that, she's actually considered to be an almost perfect image of Yamato Nadeshiko (大和撫子, the personification of the idealized Sheikah woman, meaning "the epitome of pure, feminine beauty"; poised (calm & self-assured), decorous (polite & restrained), kind, gentle, graceful, humble, patient, virtuous, respectful, benevolent, honest, charitable, faithful, intelligent, & most of all, dangerous) by her own people's estimates, & actually wants to be a wife & mother very badly. Furthermore, upon becoming one, she plans to focus mostly on her family, specifically her children, while still maintaining her skills as a warrior. Is quietly eager to teach them their family & tribe's traditions. Cannot wait to bond with them through activities such as cooking & hunting like she did with her grandparents. They hold some of her fondest memories.

I know that we've been hearing the term "strong, independent woman" a lot lately, but the thing about Nemma is that not only is she legitimately strong & truly independent, but she feels zero need to tell people this. She is thus not due to herself declaring herself as such, but because she displays such qualities outward. Not to mention, she also 100% appreciates the work that men do & values them for that work, which is why she wants to be a wife & mother someday.

She wants to take on that spouse & caregiver role.

Though, sometimes, Nemma wonders in the back of her mind if she's accidentally backed herself into a corner by training so hard, because she wants a strong man, but due to having trained so much, so hard, for so long in order to prove that she didn't need her father's approval, she's afraid that she's become too strong to find a man who could protect her.

Because even though she's more than capable of protecting herself right now, she also knows that she can't do that forever. Especially not if she plans to carry children.

Other than that, she's just become so bored with Kakariko. There have been several attempts by Sheikah men for her hand, civilian & warrior alike, but none of them could even come close to meeting her expectations. Even quite a few Hylian & Ovelian men had tried their hand, but none measured up. This results in her worrying if her expectations might be too high.

In her spare time, she plays a Shinobue (篠笛) to relax. A Shinobue being a horizontally-held Sheikah-style bamboo flute. She is actually pretty dang good.

— Undefined Parts & Other Little Details That Would Likely Show Up In The Story, But I Don't Know Where To Put:

Nemma will probably end up having beef with Zelda. Not on a personal level, more so just due to what she represents. Nemma just doesn’t trust technology that’s too advanced & honestly sees the way the Zonai & the future Sheikah’s tech uses magic in a similar way to how many view heavily processed American cheese. She believes that there should be a more defined balance between progress, technology, nature, & tradition.

Believes that weapons should remain manual, so she’d be horrified by the Guardians & the Divine Beasts & would likely see how Calamity Ganon managed to turn them against Hyrule as validation of her distrust of them.

The Sheikah Slate would grind her gears a bit, due to its use of automatic sealing magic, but not to nearly the same degree as other things.

She wouldn’t really mind the Purah Pad, as it appears to be mostly for navigation, picture-taking, & cataloging. Though, she’d mind it even less if it had more icon options & a way for her to apply personalized notes to those icons. So, you have to tap on the icons to get those notes. (Would likely still prefer Pictoboxes, though, considering they can instantly produce pictures while the Sheikah Slate & Purah Pad seem to need an entirely different machine to do so. I mean, if Pictoboxes still existed. Knowledge of them, let alone their creation methods, seems to have been lost.)

Surprisingly, sees the teleportation function as quite useful in case of emergencies, but also sees how ready access to such would likely cause overreliance & laziness.

Another reason why Nemma doesn’t trust the Zonai or Sheikah tech is how… frankly unreliably disposable they tend to be.

Moving on, on the day she left Kakariko, she cut off her hair at the nape. In Sheikah custom, this had 2 symbolic meanings depending on the context. When someone else does this to them, specifically a higher-ranked Sheikah, it symbolizes that the one getting their hair cut is dishonored & has shamed both themselves, their family, & the Sheikah as a whole. However, if a Sheikah does this to themselves, it is a symbol of cutting off ties with the Royal Family & becoming a Ronan.

The reason being that in the old days, long hair was considered a symbol of loyalty to one's king. (This is inspired by Japanese custom & tradition. At least, as far as I've learned of it.)

Her hair has since regrown itself down to her shoulders, but the fact that her hair is as short as it is, would mark her back then as an outcast amongst the Sheikah of her time.

She's still growing it out more, possibly to ass-length, but the ends of her hair will likely always have that straight-edged cut when let down.

She didn't do this due to having anything personally against the Royal Family themselves. More so, she did not wish to be anyone's puppet.

Though, she admits that it's possible that her father's rejection of her in favor of spending 97% of his time in service of the recently-formed Royal Family 5 years ago, may have influenced her somewhat minor dislike of them.

---

As a side-note: She has a surprisingly dry, deadpan wit that will sometimes leave Ganondorf in stitches. It's a rare occurrence, so when it happens, it tends to come as a shock.

Also, despite how stoic Nemma normally is, she's actually very expressive with her hands & arms. As a result, when she's around people that she doesn't trust, she tends to keep her arms folded over her chest, or by her sides, or hands planted on her hips, or folded together behind her back in order to keep them still.

But with someone she trusts, she uses her hands to gesticulate. Part of the reason being due to her fluency in Shadow Hand Speak (SHS). It's not an official Hyrulean sign language, nor do many even know about it to begin with, being mostly used by Sheikah & sometimes Yiga as a means to communicate with each other quietly on stealth missions.

She doesn't always use SHS when speaking, but almost out of habit, it feels unnatural to talk & not have her hands doing something. So, she still unconsciously uses her hands to get her meanings across or for emphasis.

It's just a bit of a quirky thing she does around those she trusts with her life. And one she honestly finds a bit embarrassing.

Ganondorf thinks it's effing cute. Sometimes, he tunes her out to see if he can figure out what she's saying just by watching her hand gestures. Which sometimes gets him in trouble when Nemma realizes that he isn't listening.

It annoys her a little bit when he does it, though she can never be 100% sure that he isn't listening because he always seems able to respond as if he had been.

Also, whenever out & discussing business or sensitive information, she tends to fold her hands over her mouth in a natural position to dissuade lip-readers. Likewise, she too can read lips.

Nemma also has a teeny tiny bit of a mischievous streak in her. It doesn't show itself often or explicitly, but it does show.

Specifically, when Ganondorf doesn't know she's entered the room.

In such situations, she'll sometimes pad up to him using her stealth training & wait till he notices her, then not react when he jerks in surprise.

Sometimes, she'll even shadow him playfully, making him slightly paranoid about being watched before suddenly letting him see her.

It frustrates him slightly, but he also can't find it in himself to hate it as he quite likes the playful light in Nemma's eyes & the slight uptick at the corner of her lips.

At most, he'll roll his eyes at her uncharacteristic impishness & maybe grumble slightly.

Though, he also takes it as clearance to mess with her as well.

Sometimes, she’ll surprise him with a kiss, which he much prefers.

---

Nemma will likely be invited to help the Gerudo huntresses catch a Cobra Shark at some point. Cobra Sharks are basically sandy-colored sharks (resembling Zebra Sharks, but with stripes instead of spots) with no eyes, & an enzyme in its saliva that can cause terrible infection when bitten, thus giving it its name. They live in the loose, flowing sands around the desert. The best method for killing them is luring them to the surface & stabbing them with spears. However, they’re also very vindictive & can jump onto the more solid sand & follow you for a decent distance before they inevitably become sitting ducks.

---

Whenever Nemma is hired for an assassination, she always hides her face behind a Mask of Truth.

She enjoys her anonymity as it allows her to go about her day without worry.

Her policy is that she must be paid half up front & half after. She finds that this makes it so she guarantees she'll be paid, while ensuring her client that she will provide. In a lot of ways, she is much like Shelly de Killer from Ace Attorney in the way she operates.

She has very few lines that she will not cross & those lines are always made 100% clear to her clients.

She will not in any way be complicit in the abuse of a child.

She will not be complicit in any form of child slavery, whether sexual or otherwise.

If, at any point, she finds that her client has violated any of these rules or has lied about such, she reserves the right to make them her next target.

And if they are in any way connected to a group or organization that participates in such activities, even unknowingly, don't be surprised if the members of said group begins to mysteriously disappear over time.

Nemma has exactly zero qualms with killing if she views it as necessary so long as it isn't kids. That is her one line.

Slavers, rapists, kid killers, & pedophiles are at the top of her list of people to kill immediately. They are not people to her. They are what amounts to a dangerously invasive species of animal that are directly harming the ecosystem & need to be hunted down like rabid dogs. Pests to be exterminated. A blight upon the land that she would wipe clean with her own hands. Living, breathing targets. Prey. If she ever meets anyone with such sinful habits, don't expect them to be an issue for long.

Absolutely revels in causing such individuals inordinate amounts of pain before eventually killing them. Especially those who have actually acted upon those desires. She's actually done some pretty damn heinous things to people like that, though she feels no shame or guilt for such.

The reason she bears such virulent hatred of these individuals is partly due to having been kidnapped by slavers as a young girl. She'd been... It doesn't matter. Her first kill had actually been one of those same slavers, which had resulted in severe punishment. She had only been there a week when her grandparents, several civilian Sheiyoo (Sheikah men), & a group of Kagehei (Shadow Warriors), including her father, had come to save her as well as the other slaves.

You see, while slavery hadn't been legal in Hyrule even before the Zonai came, it also had yet to be criminalized, & even if it were, then that likely wouldn't have stopped some very sick-headed individuals from getting their jollies off on exerting power over others. As such, the Sheikah Jokan-chō no Ichizoku (女官長の一族, Chieftess' Family) of the time had been on a campaign to fully end it since the Sheikah's known inception.

And, it turns out that, while yes, Masashai did come to help save her, he'd actually been ordered by Impaz-danchō to aid the group that had been planning to raid the slavers' base.

And, while he did show momentary concern, sympathy, & even pity for his daughter, it didn't seem to be enough to change his neglectful ways towards her.

That was when Nemma realized that she'd never be enough for him & just entirely stopped trying. Even stopped writing to him altogether.

She became absolutely determined to prove to him that she didn't need him or his approval in any way. That she'd become a great warrior without him.

Though Nemma doesn't know it, while Masashai hadn't ever opened any of her letters or even replied, that didn't mean that he just threw them away. Though, he had actually begun to burn her first couple of letters, thinking it best to cut her out of his life so that he could focus on his duties, now as a Royal Guard to King Rauru on the Great Plateau, but had admittedly felt guilty for it & put the fire out before too much of them could be consumed. He then instead opted to keep them in his bedside drawer at home.

There is some part of him that actually has some form of recognition for her as his daughter. It's just that he doesn't care enough to make an actual effort.

Back to Nemma, before being kidnapped & taken advantage of, she was actually a very happy & expressive kid with a love for adventure & could even be a bit rash at times. Oftentimes not even really planning things out or taking into account the consequences of her actions. Back then, she often waved off her grandparents' advice, thinking it was just old people talk. Though, she'd always wished to be a proud Sheikah warrior & blacksmith like her grandfather, even back then.

Due to her trauma, not just from the overload of emotional stress from being trained as a certain type of slave, but also from her having finally realized that her father had abandoned her & likely wouldn't have even helped save her if not for Impaz-danchō, Nemma developed alexithymia. Which is a difficulty expressing one's own emotions, specifically in identifying their thoughts & feelings.

It's something that she's been dealing with ever since. She's definitely gotten better, but it… well, it's rough on her. This is partly why she's become so stoic.

Of course, it isn't the whole reason, but definitely part of it.

But, yes, Nemma has become more stoic, serious, reserved, careful, & calculating as a result of her traumatic experience & taking her grandparents' words into more consideration as she had begun to seek them out for comfort more often. Having also grown to hate slavers & those who harm others, especially children, for their own personal gain & is always on the lookout for them. Fully prepared to end their lives at a moment's notice.

In this way, while generally level-headed, she can be a bit unhinged & even vindictive at times. At least, in these situations.

As such, she'll definitely have issues with the Gerudo once she learns of their Vo'màzren (concubini, plural of concubinus, otherwise known as male concubines) & Vàsitulïxan, dominatrixes paid specifically to break in & train male concubines via domination. One such method involving the use of what is, essentially... You know what? It's likely best not to go into it.

Regardless, it involved the use of infused Amethysts which allowed for connections between the mind/body.

And while the possibilities of such gemstones & their uses (not to mention the specific creative application being displayed) fascinate Nemma, to do something like this without one's consent chafes her majorly.

Even still, it is something that has just been a part of the Gerudo lifestyle since the Nàshàlay'è Sûl'si (literally, the Curse of Castration. Referencing the female-only curse) befell them nearly 40-50,000 years ago. (Not that anyone remembers this fact.) As such, the Gerudo back then had a good amount of Vo'màzren, though only the higher ranked Gerudo had full, legit harems & not even many of them did. Such individuals included the captain of the guard & the 3 Vaen, who worked at a place known as the Surré Qasrehs (Pleasure Palace; though it's really just a very big tent before the timeskip), but were very high-ranked individuals. There could only ever be 3 Vaen at a time. If you want to know more about them, then go to my Vae & the Spring of Talthïrï post. Warning, it's weird. But also keep in mind that so is most of mythology irl.

Likewise, the sex industry there, specifically prostitution where Vo'màzren also worked in the Pleasure Palace alongside the 3 Vaen & often were trained by them, tended to entirely revolve around unowned Vo'màzren, which were referred to as Hra'tàkdham Vo'màzren (Free-Use Concubini), & they weren't even really paid. Instead, their rewards tended to be food & lodging, though the most well-behaved were treated better & the best, most talented, or most experienced tended to be showered with luxury & finery. It was very much not a good thing.

Admittedly, there turned out to be a handful of Vo'màzren who seemed to "come around" to their new lifestyles, some even taking to it like a fish to water. And those were often referred to as Ghâ'màzren or golden concubini. But the truth of the matter was that this generally happened due to them sort of brainwashing themselves into enjoying the lifestyle, even beginning to believe that they didn't deserve a better life. Admittedly, some truly did enjoy it, but those were few & far between.

Disgustingly, this Pleasure Palace tended to have 2 draws. Sexual gratification & the right to be bred. And repeatedly purchasing a free-use Vo'màzren for the night to breed with could be much more costly depending on the skill & quality of the Vo'màzr. Though, that could be avoided by rather than renting them for one night, instead purchasing them outright as one wouldn't need to buy multiple sessions as the man would be theirs. At the same time, those Vo'màzren who fathered children, while considered fathers, were still thought to be part of the lowest class & not given the authority or respect that they were due as the one who helped to facilitate the child's existence.

Anyway, this Pleasure Palace was the backbone of the sex industry within Gerudàn culture & was where Vo'màzren were trained & where those that were purchased as a private slave were prepared for their new mistresses. It really was a truly rotten experience. The only chance that such men had of a decent life was through romancing their mistresses & eventually becoming their husbands, which would elevate him to normal citizen status & would thus grant him rights as a free person.

Luckily, the enslaving of children is strictly forbidden or Ganondorf would have absolutely zero chance, but the fact that male slaves & even harems of abducted men were still a thing for their culture, would still be a point of contention for Nemma. If Ganondorf has any hopes of gaining her favor & keeping it, he'll have to change that. Though, hearing Nemma's story, her experiences, & her perspective on it will likely help in this.

As mentioned above, though, even after Ganondorf abolished it, there were a handful of men who chose, for one reason or another, to remain doing that sort of work. As such, while Vo'màzren were freed, the industry still managed to survive so long as they treated the men with rights & actually paid them.

While Ganondorf & Nemma generally get along very well. One thing they will consistently fight over is the practice of Pàras’éda Vaivàq al’Eabū (Making Womanous the Enemy).

You see, due to the Gerudo being a female-only race besides Ganondorf & the fact that the Gerudo currently have a bad relationship with Hyrule as a whole. The Gerudo are forced to find ways to create the next generation. This way tends to be either the use of the Vaen, Vo'màzren, the act of raping their male enemies, or just leaving Hyrule entirely to find different men.

So, since Vo'màzren were much reduced & they wished to prevent as much inbreeding as possible, Pàras Vaivàq al’Eabū became a near necessity.

It was also something that has been a necessity for millennia & if a Vai especially liked a conquest, she'd often keep him.

This was how the Gerudo sex industry initially began.

Over time, the availability of Vo'màzren due to the industry allowed for Pàras Vaivàq al’Eabū to not happen quite so often, but now that there aren't nearly so many Vo'màzren available, it's caused the price for their services to skyrocket.

This, however, forces Gerudo with lesser means to have to find their own men, which, inevitably, resulted in Pàras Vaivàq al’Eabū becoming common again.

It's very much not something Nemma is okay with. However, her logical mind & hatred of delusion forces her to acknowledge that the Gerudo really & honestly don't have very many options.

Especially since Ganondorf abolished slavery.

At the same time, sometimes… sometimes she struggles with her morals.

And she'll get frustrated & snap sometimes.

The fighting never lasts because Nemma knows that the Gerudo are in no place to be picky.

As such, she sees it as a necessary evil. One that she loathes & would readily drop at a moment’s notice.

---

Also, I'm giving Ganondorf small Orc-like tusks & slightly pronounced upper canines, which results in him having a tiny bit of an underbite. The upper canines being much less pronounced than the tusks. Not anything too terribly noticeable until he steals the Secret Stone & becomes the Demon King. But before that, you can tell they're there when he's talking or smiling or just has his mouth open.

I'm sort of just making this a general male Gerudo trait in my hc because I feel like it gives them a bit more uniqueness than just giant human men with an unfair amount of musculature & hair that would make Fabio cry out of jealousy.

Partially, due to this, my version of him also likes to nip, lightly bite, & nibble his wife playfully using those very tusks & canines. Whether it be her neck, shoulders, ears, the tips of her fingers (often with a playful little smirk before kissing the pad), the tip of her nose, her jaw, or something else.

His kisses will also tend to tickle her due to his beard, which causes her to smile if not giggle on occasion.

Which always gets him to smile back, because she just doesn't laugh often in his mind & also partially because her laugh is just so delicate & feminine, like tinkling bells, compared to how she normally is & the juxtaposition of infrequent soft, feminine warmth with her normal cold sharpness is simply breathtaking to him, often causing his heart to flutter.

Ganondorf will sometimes even rub his chin against her skin just to make her laugh.

As a matter of fact, she loves Ganondorf's beard, thinking it looks very rugged & manly. She just has a huge thing for masculinity (because it's a major turn-on for her). So, it very much isn't uncommon for her to run her fingers through the hairs or scratch his chin.

(Which, I can see him maybe sorta leaning into in a similar way to how a cat would &, depending on how far along in their relationship they are & which Dorf, he might end up getting embarrassed by his own reaction & going hard tsundere, getting bashfully tsundere yet liking it too much to ask her to stop, or not giving an eff, because feel good & is happy & love wife.)

And as an aside, I think Ganondorf is a bit touch-starved, though he's initially unused to & uncomfortable with non-sexual physical affection. However, he wouldn't put up a resistance & once he gets used to it, he'll crave it like a dying man in the desert craves water.

I also think that Ganondorf would find this fact embarrassing if he ever realized it.

Also, the fact that Nemma refuses to go anywhere without some form of weapon, even to royal affairs, is something that Ganondorf would both expect of her & would deeply respect. Especially when he doesn't even have to mention said expectation.

This would only further cement his belief that the little Sheikah was the perfect queen, born to rule at his side. It'd warm his chest in an unusual way that he'd still be unfamiliar with.

He also tends to get up at the crack of dawn every morning to practice with his weapons. He finds it meditative.

Nemma initially avoids joining him as she believed it was his “me time” & she didn't want to invade that, so she did her morning routines elsewhere. It wasn't until he inquired what she did in the mornings & she said that she had easy morning workouts. He then asked why she didn't join him & she replied that she didn't want to intrude. But then he offered & she quickly begins joining him, not seeing any reason not to.

I'm also gonna have him eventually take up the Sitàr, which will seem to pair quite well with Nemma's Shinobue playing. It'll create a type of sound that is very interesting, but harmonizes in a unique way.

He'll have never considered the idea of taking up an instrument before meeting Nemma, having seen it as a waste of time when one could instead spend that time on something more productive.

However, Nemma will ignite within him a deeper appreciation for music & cultures in general. Especially his own. He'll find it to be yet another meditative experience that he quite enjoys.

His tunes tend to flow lazily through the air as, much like Nemma, he tends to play it to relax & unwind. Doesn't really go into it intending to create songs, but that's what he ends up doing.

Turns out that Ganondorf is actually quite gifted & creative when it comes to music.

---

Anyway, Nemma fights using swords with her favorite being Namikaze no Odori, which is a Katana that she forged herself using the blacksmithing techniques that her grandfather taught her. However, she generally only uses it in emergencies as it is extremely overpowered & if there's one thing she loves, it's a challenge.

Most other times, she has a pair of Sheikatō (canonically called Eightfold Blades) & Kodachi that she can use. Two Sheikatō sheathed at her hips, two Kodachi strapped to her thighs, & her Namikaze no Odori sheathed across her back. Normally, she'll switch between different combinations of them depending on her opponent. Sometimes, she'll use both Sheikatō, sometimes she'll use both Kodachi, & sometimes she'll use one Sheikatō & one Kodachi.

The ones she uses, while exceptional quality due to her having made them herself, really aren't that special beyond the fact that they are made of a Zoridium steel alloy. Zoridium being what Zora weapons are generally made of & what lets said weapons boost attack when wet.

For specifics on how Nemma made the Namikaze no Odori, what it's made of, ect. Go to my Namikaze no Odori post.

She's actually learned that when in a pinch & no water was available, blood works just as well as water. So, when she needs an extra boost, but doesn't want to use her best weapon, she will just run a blade across her own palm. Though, when in a fight with things that bleed, including monsters that aren't almost purely made of evil magic, she doesn't even really need to do that & all she has to do is land a good hit on them.

As a swordfighter, she is proficient in both Iaidō & Yadome no Jutsu. Iaidō being a style of withdrawing one's sword from its scabbard swiftly & efficiently so as to attack with a flick, flicking blood from the blade, before returning it to its scabbard. This is an art that demands total situational awareness & control. Meanwhile Yadome no Jutsu is the somewhat legendary military skill of arrow-cutting or blocking. It allows one to either cut or deflect arrows from the air with your sword.

Her training in Kenjutsu involved things that bring to mind the Flurry Strike, Extra Attack, & Opportunist feats from DnD, with further training depending on specialization.

For instance, Nemma specializes in the Daisho style of Kenjutsu. Or dual-wielding Wakizashi or Sheikatō. Which allows her to perform techniques like Dual Blades, Dragon Blades, & Whirlwind Blades, from DnD.

When she gets old, Nemma plans to start using a Shikomizue (仕込み杖, Prepared Cane) because she likes the idea of surprising bandits who think she's an easy target. Her grandpa actually did that quite often when he was out delivering his work to customers. While not a dedicated fighter himself, that didn't mean that he couldn't defend himself &, in fact, he was very good at taking attackers by surprise & finishing them off quickly.

Then, there's Kaihi Tanren (回避鍛練, Evasion or Avoidance Martial Training) which trains the body in things like Uncanny Dodge, Evasion, & Elusive, again, from DnD. (I'm taking a lot of inspiration from a 5e homebrew for a Ninja class, here.)

There's also Shinjun Tanren (浸潤鍛練, Infiltration Martial Training) which eventually lets her perform what amounts to Infiltration Expertise, Acculturate, & Imposter, once again, from DnD. Which, Acculturate is actually extremely useful to her as it allows her to be able to learn any language from any place she goes to in a very short amount of time provided she studies how those around her speak it for at least an hour each day for a month or so. She'll most likely use it to learn the Gerudo language too.

It'll likely stun the Gerudo too.

She is, likewise, exceptionally skilled in Kiridō, both Kirijutsu & Santoku, which are 2 different types of knife styles. Kiridō being the overall use of knives, whether for fighting or for cooking. Kirijutsu specifically being the martial or self-defensive branch of Kiridō while Santoku refers specifically to the use of the kitchen knife. Santoku translates to either "three virtues" or "three uses." Which refers to the 3 uses for kitchen knives: slicing, dicing, & mincing. While one can learn Santoku separately from Kirijutsu if they so desire, it is thought in Sheikah culture that in order to get the full understanding of all that a Hōchō (kitchen knife) is capable of, one must also know how to defend oneself with that Hōchō. Which, while Hōchō are not designed with the thought of fighting specifically in mind, they are designed to be able to be used in such a way & be effective at it if necessary. This is due to it being said that the best knifefighters know how to use a Kiri to cook just as easily as to fight. Interestingly, the best Sheikah chefs are also skilled in knifefighting.

Nemma tends to not only enjoy, but actually thrive when learning such multipurpose concepts as it scratches that practical part of her brain quite nicely & in a very satisfying way.

While on the road, she really only brought with her a Gyuto-Bōchō & a Honekotsu-Bōchō. A Gyuto-Bōchō is a Chef's knife & one of the most versatile, being able to do the 3 Virtues of the kitchen just as easily as a Santoku-Bōchō, plus much more. And a Honekotsu-Bōchō is, quite simply, a butchery knife able to cut through heavy meat & bone just as easily as it can do fine, detailed meat-cutting work such as fileting, depending on whether she sharpens or dulls the blade before use. Which is useful when she has to prepare her kills when she goes out hunting. (The Honekotsu-Bōchō is technically a fusion of 2 real world bone & meat kitchen knives: Honesuki-Bōchō & Hankotsu-Bōchō. This is just my attempt to condense things a bit.)

She avoided getting any others or even making herself any as a full Kamado Nakama (Kitchen Companion, a kitchen knife set of Sheikah make) would take up a lot of space in her pack, especially a Mamena (diligent) set. Not to mention, that it was tradition for a woman to get her first Hōchō-Kaku (basically a knife block for the kitchen) when she marries & settles down. Typically as a gift from her husband for their first home together. And usually, it was a Katei-Yō or Home Kaku which generally aren't as fully-stocked as Mamena Kaku tend to be unless the man is either marrying a chef or is a chef himself.

---

And while her preferred weapons are swords or knives, she's also very skilled at using a Jōhyō (chain kunai or rope dart). She tends to wear a Jōhyō Han Kote when on a job, which is actually a very practical, traditional multipurpose Sheikah weapon that doubled as a convenient way to make travel more efficient & sort of inspired the Hookshot. Its most well-known purpose is as a weapon, being capable of working like a regular Jōhyō or a Hidden Blade in combat. Basically, having a dual-use as both a long-ranged weapon & short ranged one. When using it for combat, she can either just let the kunai blade out to use it as a short knife, shoot it out like a clawshot to stab someone, or uncoil it so that she can whirl it around at her side much like WW Link does with a grappling hook & either swing it at anyone who gets too close or throw it at someone farther back.

It can also work as either a Hookshot or a Grappling Hook depending on how it's used.

She also has a secret compartment in her Jōhyō Han Kote where she can put poison, which much like in Assassin's Creed, she can use to covertly assassinate targets, injecting them with it, without drawing attention. It also has what amounts to brass knuckles or Tekkō (鉄甲) built in much like her other Han Kote. Though, it's less actual Tekkō & more so metal studs welded to the knuckles of the Han Kote.

For reference, this is what I mean when I say a Jōhyō Han Kote:

Though, with a guard around the back of the hand. It's a very versatile & useful tool. Also, not my art. I DO NOT claim it as such. If I could underline the "do not" there, I would.

She also keeps a Phrenic Bow on her at all times & is a deadshot (excellent for when she has to make a hit from afar & not get seen), but she'll eventually find that she prefers a Gerudo Bow as their design allows for higher accuracy & more power. She's also be determined to learn how to craft one, seeing it as a prime opportunity to better understand bow mechanics work through a medium that she is intimately familiar with. Though, not so much the golden hue as it increased visibility. However, she may eventually find that she's better with a double-limbed bow.

Though, a bow isn't her preferred weapon. She typically uses it when she can't get up close & personal with a hit. At the same time, she generally prefers to use it for hunting animals. She remembered hunting with her master growing up.

She wishes that she knew more about bowyery as she gets tired of having to carry around so many different types of arrows. She's just never been very good with woodwork, though she was learning & was determined to be able to one day match her grandmother's skills at it as well as with general woodwork. She can currently fletch & carve figurines okay, but not much beyond that. If she were any good, she'd try to make a sort of spellcaster's bow that would use her magic to infuse regular arrows with elements.

As it stands, she has to buy specific elemental arrows & she doesn't know the Zonai's Weapon Fusion rune. She's been trying to learn to replicate the effect using Sheijutsu or Fūinjutsu, but it's slow going. Once she does though, she'll likely begin carrying around a pouch of arrow-compatible monster parts. Though, she'll tend not to use eyeballs much as she prefers not to rely on them to make her mark & will really only use them when necessary.

---

As mentioned before, Nemma also always has some form of weapon on her & is simply not comfortable unless she has some tangible way to defend herself on hand.

The Kôgai (笄, Hair Sticks) she's wearing? Their tips are made of metal & sharpened to points, thus allowing them to be used as daggers in a pinch. If she wears heeled slippers, then she needs them to be specially made with blades in the heels &, if she can get it, metal reinforced toes.

She always has a pouch full of Deku Nuts on hand, whether for a distraction or what have you.

---

When she learns of them, she'll think most of the Yiga are pretty pathetic, at least compared to herself, & that the entire Kohga line was full of lazy buffoons & wastes of space that refuse to work. (Which, the first time Ganondorf hears this, he actually gives a mighty, hearty guffaw; a full belly laugh that rumbled like storm clouds in his chest.)

She fully acknowledges that she isn't normal & that the Yiga are legitimately dangerous to the untrained & even some of the more well-trained. They are, after all, bandits & are known to ambush Sheikah & blond individuals, robbing & even killing quite a few people.

But that doesn't stop the fact that she'd only consider someone like Sooga a decent fight if they ever, hypothetically, met. Maybe. Depends on how badass the writer wants to make him. I still don't think she'd lose to him, though. And even on the slim chance that he did win, he'd have to catch her completely off-guard & use his superior male strength against her right out the gate & take her out as soon as possible. No testing the waters.

Though, even then, the next time they'd fight, she'd be able to counter him. However, considering that she gives Ganondorf a run for his money, I just don't see him getting the upper hand.

In this way, I consider the 4 strongest fighters to be, from best to worst to be: Link, Ganondorf & Nemma (in different areas), then Sooga.

---

Actual Story:

Ganondorf & Nanema meet when she came to the Gerudo Encampment to learn their Dawallaham style of forging scimitars & then use Dawasaaq iron (basically the Hyrule equivalent to Damascus) from the Gerudo Highlands to remake the Namikaze no Odori's blade, starting by infusing Zoridium into the Dawasaaq before using coal to turn it into steel, which is ideal for blade creation. This wouldn't increase the Katana's base attack by much, just by 5, making it a base of 115 & 230 when wet, but would instead greatly increase its durability, which means the blade itself could take more abuse before being overtaxed.

During which, she caught sight of the behemoth of a man (with an oddly viridian complexion; Zuna ancestry? No, they were plant-based people & the Gerudo were human) training with his soldiers & noticed the weapon he was wielding, recognizing the Katana (刀, Two-Handed Sword) he was using.

Well, she supposed that it was more a Wakizashi (脇差, One-Handed Sword) in his hands than a Katana.

Initially, she elected to observe, wishing to get a basic estimate of the large man's skill. Simply put, she liked what she saw.

His form was excellent, but it was obvious that he tended to rely more on his brute strength. However, that did not mean that it was the only thing he utilized.

It was fairly obvious by the way that he was successfully fending off three of his guardswomen at once with an expression of carefully concealed boredom that she was all too familiar with seeing on her own face, that this was a frequent occasion. She was able to pinpoint a simmering frustration that was slowly rising by the way his brow was furrowing & his mouth was steadily pulling back. It wasn’t until he’d called out to the other two waiting in the wings, that his anger began to subside slightly. However, as one who was so very familiar with his particular conundrum, Nemma knew that it was a temporary fix that would wear off once one of them missed a beat.

It’d happened to her so many times while she was still residing in Kakariko that it had become a source of great aggravation for her. To such a degree that when her O-jiichan had passed, that her discontent with the stagnation in her life finally reached its zenith & she had to leave or she’d lose her mind. So, seeing that same need to challenge one’s self, but not being able to, that had been in herself, & in many ways, still was… it elicited a deep sympathy.

Her keen mind, quick as it was, knew that she would fight him. He was in possession of her O-jiichan’s work. The name of the set was just beyond her reach. Nemma hated that… Though, she was sure that it was meant to channel some form of Yamimaho (dark magic).

So, she refused to leave this encampment until either, she was satisfied knowing that her family’s weaponry was in good hands… Or she left with them, once more in good hands. She’d be lying to herself if she didn’t say that some part of her was excited, but she endeavored to reign the feeling in as she’d encountered other men that had also initially shown promise, only to be left disappointed.

She noticed that the large man had finally reached that familiar rhythm in the flow of a fight with an opponent that was not up to your standards where you grew bored, (oh, how well-acquainted she’d become with it) & had spotted her. This was the 3rd time that he’d glanced over curiously at her.

Feeling somewhat mischievous, she tilted her head ever so slightly, gave him a demure smile, & lowered her lids in that way that always seemed to captivate men. It appeared that it was enough to cause him to knock one of his opponents flat on her back before he’d meant to. This resulted in him going somewhat rigid, & while to others, his expression may have looked blank, her sharp eyes spotted the minute tick beneath his eye & the twitch between his brows where he held back a furrow.

The titanic man huffed through his nose as he looked down at her before telling them that training was over. The women responded with what Nemma assumed was a Gerudo salute of sorts, but she was too busy meeting the man’s eye to contemplate it further.

She was woman enough to admit that having the full force of his stern raptorial golden gaze upon her did something to her.

He appeared to take the slight widening of her smile as an indication that she wished to speak & promptly obliged. At first, it was the usual small talk. The veiled flirting. Oh, she could definitely see the slight heat behind his eyes, but she could also see the way that his nose was ever so slightly elevated when he spoke to her. He was looking down on her.

Well, that certainly wouldn’t do. She’d need to show him what happened when one judged a book by its cover, & not even judge that cover effectively either!

Eventually, she made note of the weapon he’d used & she could see the suspicious narrowing of his eyes. He thought her a thief, but she could certainly understand the feeling. It was only good sense to be cautious. Especially with a Masamuna sword.

G: “It is a commission I had made many years ago from-”

N: “The late swordmithing master of Hyrule, Kawachi no Kami Masamuna Takka.”

She could not help the feminine giggle she released from behind her hand at the way his brows shot up before returning to a more stoic position.

N: “Bureide gomen’nasai. That is, I apologize for my rudeness. I am in a strangely impish mood today, it seems. I noticed your skillful use of O-jiichan’s Katana. Ah, my-” (O-jiichan; Grandfather. A term of both great respect & affection.)

G: “Your grandfather, you say?”

She blinked before allowing herself to smile a bit wider.

N: “I see that you know a bit of Sheikan, then. You honor my tribe, but yes, he was my grandfather.”

This seemed to very much catch his interest, though he did a good job of hiding it. As they spoke, she remembered him making it as well as the others in the Shōki (瘴気, Miasma or Gloom) series. Shōki being the name that Takka gave to the Gloom series of weapons, the one she forgot, as the weapons were designed to be able to channel Ganondorf's Gánō or On'nenmachi (怨念魔霊, magic power that is fueled by rancor, which is a mix of hatred, grudement, malice, vengeance, & resentfulness that can consume evil spirits & make them furious or malicious & evil spirits even more so) in Sheikan terms.

Initially, the man was suspicious & asked her what the other weapons in the series were, as only the Katana was present. As he did so, he eyed her subtly, though with more intensity than before, admitting inwardly that she was very attractive. If her words were correct, he wouldn't mind a one-night fling with the tiny Sheikah woman. It wasn’t every day that one had the opportunity to bed a daughter of such an illustrious family, & it wasn’t as though a Hyrulean would matter much when he only intended to rut her & be done with her.

He could also see how she tried to hide how her own eyes roamed his form in return, which caused him to smirk internally. The giant of a man knew that he was a prime specimen, not just by Gerudo standards, but also by Hyrulean ones. Though, if she turned out to be any good, he might consider making her one of his Vamàziahen.

And, indeed, the Sheikah did observe him. Taking in his masculine features. His rippling muscles under taught, slightly greenish dark skin. His long, russet hair pulled into a topnot. His striking golden eyes like the piercing gaze of an eagle. His strong features & aquiline nose. His well-groomed beard! And especially his incredible height, around 9-10 feet.

The guy was ma-hoo-sive!

But, that was for later. Nanema thought a moment, her nose scrunching ever so slightly, before replying that one was a Naginata (薙刀, Polearm or Spear), & then there was the Daikyū (大弓, Samurai War Bow) & Kanabō (金砕棒, Metal Stick or Metal Club) that were made as a collaboration between her grandparents as her O-baachan (Grandmother. A term of both great respect & affection) was the woodworker & bowyer in the family.

Ganondorf's brows rose nearly to his hairline in surprise, then interest. That was quite the coincidence.

He then commented that her grandparents' work had served him quite well, but then he expected as much from the famous Masamuna forging clan of Kakariko. And proceeded to ask for her name.

To which, she replied "Is it not normally considered polite to introduce one's own self before requesting the name of another?"

Though a tiny bit miffed, Ganondorf hummed & admitted the truth in that & did as such, introducing himself as Voe'attàr Gánōndōrfé Gárorrzïr, Son of Gàlaaqkōba of the royal Gerudo house of Drāgamīr, King of the Gerudo, specifying that the Hyrulean transliteration of King Ganondorf Dragmire would suffice if she struggled to utter the Gerudàn pronunciation of it.

Then, requested her name once more.

Honestly, the tiny Sheikah should be grateful that not only was he in a much more generous mood now than he’d been a moment ago, but also that her grandparents' work was so exceptional, as otherwise he would've simply demanded her compliance.

However, rather than apologize for her slight against a king as he expected, she simply bowed in greeting & introduced herself as "Masamuna Nanema," stating that it was an honor to make his acquaintance. Though Ganondorf couldn’t help but to note that she didn’t perform a Saikeirei (45-70 degree bow & most respectful) as he’d expected she would after learning of his status. Rather, she performed a Keirei (30 degree bow; a formal, respectful bow, but not the most respectful). That niggling bite in the back of his mind reared with anger &, some part of him agreed that he should feel offended, but for whatever reason, he couldn’t help but find himself somewhat impressed by her audacity. He also felt that he should let it pass as he wasn’t yet quite confident in his rei-sansoku technique. (Rei-sansoku being a very important part of Sheikan etiquette defined by the synchronization of one’s movements with their breathing. Typically, one should lower their torso in time with their inhalation, stay perfectly immobile with their exhale, before returning to an upright position with the proceeding inhale.) He knew that a perfectly executed ogiji was considered to be one of a number of marks of adulthood for her people & rei-sansoku was essential to such; he refused to embarrass himself in such a manner.

They chatted for a bit before, feeling oddly charmed by her, Ganondorf then invited her to observe his training with his soldiers, hoping to impress her & get a good fling out of it, which Nemma thanked him graciously for the offer, but rejected.

Ganondorf was shocked by the show of audacity, then stunned further when she, rather cordially, challenged him to a duel to prove to her that he still deserved to wield her O-jiichan's work.

Part of him was insulted at the idea that he wouldn't be, while the other admired her courage & gall to actually challenge a man, a king, one twice her size.

Chuckling at the very idea of losing, Ganondorf asked what she planned to do if he lost.

To which she replied, "I will then be retrieving the Shōki series from your possession." The large Gerudo frowned at the idea of her stealing from the Bandit King.

"Do not misunderstand. I do not intend to rob you. It was a legitimate business transaction after all. However, please understand that I cannot allow one unworthy to wield my O-jiichan's work. If you have not proven your worth by the end of the battle, then I will simply appraise them & reimburse you for the loss."

As fair as that was, logically, neither he nor that dark place in his mind appreciated that she wished to take from him something that he'd commissioned personally. Especially when they were so reliable.

Regardless, Ganondorf accepted Masamuna's challenge, looking to stamp out the assumption that he ‘might not be worthy.’ He walked over to the side & used his heel to draw a line in the sand before going to stand in the circle. Then, he informed her that the battle would begin when the shadow of the nearby armory tent touched the line.

The king took measure of the young woman, watching as she smiled & went to take her place in the makeshift arena, placing a hand loosely upon the handle of only one of the scabbards at her hips.

‘So, she mocks me…’ He gives a quiet grumble under his breath as he internally swore to show her what happened when you underestimated him.

The king of the desert stood tall before shifting into position to do battle. Yet, she simply stood there, unbothered. Waiting…

For a brief moment, he was very angry, his temper beginning to rise, compounding with his earlier frustrations at a lack of challenge as he took in how unworried she was. Even momentarily beginning to believe that she was just another rotten Hyrulean…

…

Until the shadow finally touched the line he drew…

And the very next instant, he saw a flicker of movement. Ganondorf had no time to think as he was forced to react immediately, eyes frantically tracking the motion as, in a split second, he deflected a strike before it could land with a fierce glare.

His blade clashed with a shing.

That was when it fully registered that the strike had come from his opponent as she had suddenly & very unexpectedly struck out at him as quick as lightning.

If he was being honest with himself, had not been himself, then she would've likely won in just the opening encounter, but he was Gánōndōrfé, King of the Gerudo, Vàh Gela damnit! He wouldn't be taken out that easily!

Glancing down briefly, he realized that, though her hit hadn’t landed, she’d managed to force him to take a step backwards. Wide eyes returning to look at her in surprise, he held her gaze for a moment, measuring her up once more & found something odd.

Her expression, where once she was stoic to a fault, now her face bore a look of shock upon it, before turning to intrigue, then becoming masked with stoicism once more.

As they began to circle each other, the Gerudo man took the moment to reexamine the exchange inside his head: In only a split second’s time, she’d drawn her Sheikatō from the sheath at her hip & lashed out at him in a single, fluid motion. While he hadn’t had time to recognize it in-the-moment, now that he was given time to think, he was suddenly hit with recognition.

If he was correct, then that had been a technique he'd only heard legend of before (an Iaidō)! She’d most likely intended to try to debilitate him & conclude the battle quickly. (He would never admit to how he struggled to conceal his ever so slightly awed enthusiasm at having witnessed the move. Though, his pride did battle with the suppressed admiration, reminding him that he had nearly been defeated at the very beginning of the fight, which rankled him.)

Regardless, that opening attack alone showed him that he needed to take this fight far more seriously if he wished to retain his position as the strongest.

However, as the duel progressed, he was further taken aback by the mesmerizing skill with which she handled her weapon. Though, he also noticed within her a sort of energy. An aura of growing excitement, though it didn’t show up on her pretty face.

She was incredibly strong too based on how, despite being so small, the tiny Sheikah was able to force him back even a step with that initial opening attack. As well as quick on her feet & an obviously brilliant strategist as she had not only struck him many times, but had also caused him to falter & stumble more than once. But he would not be bested!

Even still, Ganondorf knew that she was holding back on him. She was obviously an extremely skilled Sheikah Warrior, thus she must be trained in her tribe's sorcery. Not to mention, she was only using one of the weapons in her arsenal.

So, he taunted her to try & get her to do so, but she simply gave a tiny smirk before continuing.

By this point, the other Gerudo had begun to crowd around them, watching in awe as such a tiny vai went toe-to-toe with their leader.

[Basically, I imagine that it'd become similar to the punch-cute from Shang Chi: Ten Rings, between Wenwu & Ying Li, but with swords.]

(More parts of the fight.)

At one point, Ganondorf backs the woman into the stone spire at the center of their encampment & charges, seeing a way to end things. However, upon seeing the mountain of a man coming at her, Nanema realized that she couldn’t avoid it the typical way. So, with limited options, she instead rushed him.

Ganondorf, somewhat disappointedly, thinks that she’s run out of ideas & is going for a hail mary, intending to use the butt of his sword to strike her in the stomach, thus knocking her out. However, he’s shocked & amazed when, upon him going for a swipe, she, instead, drops to one knee, the other stuck forward & to the side slightly, & essentially performs something like a spinning electric slide. But, like, limbo-style. Seriously showcasing her body’s innate flexibility as Nanema just barely escapes losing the tip of her nose to his sword’s edge. As she passes, she knocks his feet out from under the desert king with the leg she'd stuck out, tripping him.

At that same time, she slashed at him, forcing him to nearly fall backwards to avoid it as he deflected her strike with his sword. He recovers quickly, though, by planting one foot behind him on the ground to steady himself, but blocks her next strike with his sword, meeting her steel-blue eyes in slight awe at that whole sequence of events.

(More parts of the fight.)

At another point, he'll knock her off her feet, but she recovers by going with the flow of the fall & performing a one-handed cartwheel before landing on her feet. Nanema then deflects the large man's next strike with her own as she lands on her feet again. Ganondorf makes eye contact with her again, a slight, excited grin tugging at his lips.

(More parts of the fight.)

At another point, he’ll attack her again, but once more, not seeing another means of avoiding it & not wishing to use the same unconventional escape maneuver twice, she’ll, instead, jump the blade like a rope, landing on the ridiculously thin spine of it, balancing on one foot. Shocking him once more before forcing him to lean back in order to avoid getting a close shave. Regardless, they’re both getting more & more excited with every minute that passes.

In the end, Nemma found herself frozen with her O-jiichan's Katana leveled at her throat. Had he followed through, he would've beheaded her with that stroke & she would be dead, her blood staining the sand at their feet.

She... lost...

And her expression turned briefly to awe, then a clarifying realization before evening back out into stoicism.

For his part, Ganondorf was exhausted, but in that really amazingly satisfying way after accomplishing something extremely difficult, but absolutely worthwhile.

She was impressive. Damn impressive in fact. He hadn't been so challenged by a fight since he was a boy. The experience was a very fulfilling one that left him wanting more.

Nemma then stood up somewhat unsteadily & performed the Saikeirei (45 degree bow of the utmost respect) to him & the sight made the man's chest swell with pride & his blood run hot inside his veins. He knew without a shadow of a doubt that he'd earned her respect & the knowledge of one so strong & skilled, acknowledging him as the mighty warrior that he was & had always been, was pleasing to him & stroked his ego in a way that was somehow more satisfying than seeing an opponent grovel. (And… he may be somewhat glad that she hadn’t done so before, because… receiving it now… It felt earned.)

The fact that she was quite the beautiful one certainly helped. He found himself regarding her once more, though this time, he recognized the scars that decorated her body & the muscle definition mostly hidden by her kimono & could not help but think that they somehow enhanced her appearance as they were the marks of a survivor.

The woman thanked him graciously for the opportunity to test herself against his sword & said that she was honored that one so skilled was wielding the Masamuna family's work & that the Katana of the Shōki series was his. She went on to say that it was a relief to know this & offered her services as a weaponsmith should he ever need the Masamuna's talents in the future, though she warns that she had only just begun to learn bowyery & was likely to damage the Daikyū that her grandparents made for him. While she was an acceptable whittler & had perfected the creation of scabbards & handles, she, unfortunately, wouldn't recommend requesting her skills in the creation or reparation of the war bow as she was a perfectionist & was still learning from her grandmother. It was fortunate that his club was a Kanabō as it meant she would be able to repair it or make new ones due to it being made of mostly metal.

G: "So, you have followed in your clan's footsteps?"

N: "Yes, sire."

G: "You are… incredibly skilled with your sword. I find it difficult to believe that you'd expect everyone who'd ever purchased your grandparents' work to overcome such a... daunting challenge."

N: "I do not. I merely expect them to prove they are above average at using the weapons they bought. Which, I will need to confirm your mettle with the other weapons in the Shōki series. Further apologies for the inconvenience, sire. Though, I suspect that there is no need for worry, I still require confirmation to settle my own."

Ganondorf nodded, unconsciously leaning closer to her, a slight smirk tugging at his lips. He warmed ever so slightly at not only having been referred to as a king should be, & by one who was not his subject no less, but also at the obvious, yet strangely genuine flattery, then paused in confusion, a look of scandal upon his face.

G: "You only consider yourself to be above average?"

N: "Oh, no, sire. I knew you were worthy after the moment that you blocked my first strike."

Ganondorf settled, then took a moment to process that even as his ego inflated (in an oddly warm way that he was unfamiliar with) at the fact that he'd proven himself so quickly.

G: "... Then why continue?"

N: "... I have not been truly challenged in a very long time, Drāgamīr-sama."

He was momentarily surprised by the near perfect pronunciation, but recovered quickly, clearing his throat.

G: "Gánōndōrfé is fine. I believe that you've earned that small honor of familiarity. Warriors get to know each other quite well by fighting, yes?"

Nemma paused before relaxing slightly with a nod & a slight uptick at the corner of her lips.

N: "Gánōndōrfé-sama then. If that is the case, then may I humbly request that his highness refer to this one as Nanema?"

He started internally, as he knew that the use of first names wasn't typical of strangers within Sheikan culture. Either she was being very forward, wanted something, or she was making an effort to reach out due to him having given her permission to use his in return. Normally, he would be more inclined to believe the first 2 rather than the last, but something about her made him not quite so dismissive of the 3rd option as he normally would be. However, he needed to confirm.

G: "... You may... Vànda Masamuna..." Her surname was pronounced with intent, subtly signaling that he knew what she was doing.

That slight uptick to her lips seemed to twitch, briefly turning it into the tiniest smile that the voe had ever witnessed. Yet, somehow, despite its unassuming scale, it somehow managed to propagate until it just barely lightened her sapphirine eyes, understanding & appreciation gleaming in her eyes. So, it was the 3rd, it seemed. (He was almost able to ignore the expression of complete shock upon his subjects’ faces & the proceeding whispering at the flattery.)

Though, as to whether or not she recognized the title as the honestly bold flirtation that it was, he wasn't sure. (Vànda translates to “lady,” but not so much in the title way, as in the way that a gentlemen might refer to a woman as “m’lady.” Considered flattery in the Gerudo culture.) However, the captain of his guard (& his other subjects) very much did, judging by how her brows rose briefly before immediately returning to a neutral position. She'd better not say anything about it if she knew what was good for her.

N: "Gomen ne or... A'nï sàreq'so, Gánōndōrfé-sama. Is that how it is said?"

He could practically feel his own smirk soften ever so slightly at the edges at her slightly slow vocalization of the word, indicating a degree of unfamiliarity & care in the pronunciation of the expression of gratitude. The only significant mistake within her use of the eucharism (expression of gratitude), appearing to be the lack of vocalization of the ‘Khàmza. Meaning, she said it like “sah-reck-so” instead of “sah-reck-uh-so.” He understood why, though. In most other languages, it was only used as a glottal stop, but in Gerudàn it can also be vocalized, though only when it isn't bracketed on both sides by vowels & an 'h’ in the case of antecedence. As such, he let it pass.

G: “That is correct.”

To which, she nodded slightly in polite understanding & demure appreciation.

It was odd, Ganondorf had always believed that he'd be annoyed with the politely submissive & overly meek disposition that Hylian vaien were known derisively among the Gerudo for, as he'd believed that it'd be a flagrant display of weakness. And if there was one thing that he couldn't stand, it was weak women. Yet, though the yà'vai’làra (little warrior woman) very much did display such outward traits, there was also an aura of refinement & elegance that almost seemed to cast an illusory veil over such a notion as “weakness.” Honing it, instead, into an almost imperceptible sharpness that primly & politely stated, ‘you may underestimate me if you so desire. However, in so doing, you may also find yourself paying the price for such an egregious & arrogant error at a later date.’

It honestly brought to mind the stories of Sheikah vaien pretending to be courtesans. Fluttering their fans in front of their faces for some pompous weakling of a voe who was pathetically unaware of the wickedly sharp blades hidden within the fan's delicate silk.

The very image of elegant lethality.

As Ganondorf had grown into himself, he'd come to believe that such stories were fantasticized for the purposes of fearmongering. However, the tiny Sheikan vai's demeanor when paired with the wonderful display of skill she just gifted him with; he wasn’t quite so sure anymore.

If he were being honest, it heated his blood in quite the pleasant way. He very much looked forward to further duels in the future. Even ones that consisted mainly of witticious verbal engagement.

N: "As I was saying, I wished to further test your majesty's martial prowess, though for my own sake. For that, I apologize. I… wished to see what you were capable of. As is apparent by the results of our duel, the answer would be 'quite a good deal more than I had anticipated.'"

She then turned & bowed.

N: "Please accept my apologies for having acted without decorum. I will excuse myself to deal with my own injuries, if that is acceptable to you, sire?"

Ganondorf was suddenly reminded of his own injuries, the aches settling in rapidly as the adrenaline faded from his system & quickly took the out that she had so graciously given him by confirming that it was acceptable.

Though, before he left, he turned back & implied that he wouldn't be averse to another bout. Which, he hoped that she'd use more of her arsenal when they met in battle once more, because he planned to use more of his as well.

She paused for a moment, her eyes briefly lighting up with anticipation before flushing slightly & nodding her acceptance. With that, he smirked, tilting his head in acknowledgement, then left, reaching his home only a few yards away.

Upon leaving her sight, the shadow of the rock spire hiding him from view, Ganondorf would stumble, his hand shot up to the side to take hold of the rock wall & steady himself as he leaned on it while the other clutched his ribs as he coughed, blood dripping from his lips. At the wetness, the hand at his side lifted to touch his lip & examine the crimson liquid there, eyes wide with wonder.

That was when it hit him that he'd barely won that fight by just a sliver.

That, more than anything, just put a Hylian Pinecone on the fire of his swiftly growing desires.

The fact that he'd beaten such a capable & skilled vai excited him beyond measure. He grinned manically as the thought of making her his first crossed his mind.

That's when his obsession with one Masamuna Nemma first sprouted.

—

They'd duel several more times over the next couple weeks. And each fight, she'd show him something new, whether it be her knifework, dual-wielding, her use of the chained dart vambrace (Jōhyō Han Kote), her skill with a bow, her acrobatic athleticism, or her skill with Sheikah spellwork (Sheijutsu), that made him want her more with each passing day.

It also helped that she was so interesting & a surprisingly great conversationalist.

And each time, Ganondorf would win just barely & with each fight, he became more determined to court her.

He also began using her evaluations of his skills with the other Shōki weapons as excuses to show off to her & prove himself to be the best possible choice for a match. And judging by how she'd eye him up whenever she thought he wasn't looking, it was working.

He soon found himself getting… *cough* excited during their fights & after adjourning, he'd be forced to retreat to a secluded area to uh… "work off his leftover energy."

—

He just had to ease his suspicions first.

G: "You… wouldn't happen to be another of your King's messengers come here to convince the Gerudo King to come bask in Hyrule's glory via temptation, or perhaps a very attractive assassin, now would you?"

N: "Rauru is not my king & I wasn't aware that he had made such a nuisance of himself especially to one that I surmise that he wishes to become allies with. Though, I am flattered that his highness finds me so enticing. The feeling is mutual, m'lord. And, if I were sent here to assassinate you, you'd already be dead."

Ganondorf snorted derisively at the idea of being allies with that old goat, but couldn't hold back his smirk at the reciprocated compliment even though he very much doubted that that last part was true. (Poor fool has no clue.)

Though, he became suspicious of the denial of Rauru as her king as well as the informal way in which she referred to him.

He leaned in, looming over her, looking down his nose at her, trying to determine if she was deceiving him. He decided that if she was, then she was very good.

Nemma sighed & lifted her hands, beginning to untie her topknot. Her hair fell much shorter than any Sheikah he'd seen before. To her shoulders & the ends were cut straight. Something about it seemed to tickle his memory, but he couldn't quite grasp it yet.

N: "When I first left Kakariko to travel & become a monster/bounty hunter & mercenary, I used my Kodachi to cut my hair off at the nape."

Ganondorf's eyes lit up as the memory finally connected.

G: "I believe that I read once somewhere that in the Sheikah culture, it is considered a sign of cutting off one's ties with the Royal Family. You made yourself a Ronin. A Sheikah with no master."

N: "That is correct. You are quite knowledgeable. You find my culture intriguing, yes? I see the haori you wear."

Ganondorf sputtered, embarrassed that he'd been caught, but then again, he'd never seen a reason to hide it. Though, he couldn't help the sense of pride he got from being seen as knowledgeable in such things.

G: "I suppose that… in some ways, the Sheikah remind me of my own people, but in others, they are entirely alien to me. I find it interesting that two cultures that have only infrequently interacted can be both so similar & so different. You do not find the mimicry insulting?"

Nemma smiled.

N: "Not at all. Imitation isn't only the most sincere form of flattery, it's also the most sincere form of learning. Though, & pardon my audacity, but it appears that you've tied the obi incorrectly."

The Gerudo man jerked slightly at that, embarrassed once more that all that practice had gone to waste.

N: Do not fret, Sire. You have done far better than most others who were self-taught & the mistakes are minor as well as simple to correct. It is more than apparent that you paid an admirable amount of attention. I am more than willing to aid you in refining your technique if you so wish. Honestly, I too tend to see the Gerudo similarly. I admire your warrior spirits & traditions."

Ganondorf smirked with pride at her recognition of his & his people's efforts. As well as of the fact that he'd done his research.

G: "Likewise &... It would be ungentlemanly of a voe to turn down such a generous offer from a vai as lovely as yourself."

N: "You flatter this unworthy one, m'lord."

She hid her tiny smile & the slight (genuine) flushing of her cheeks behind her delicately closed fist, not even noticing how she unconsciously fluttered her lashes at him in a coquettish manner. If she had a Himitsu Tessen (秘密鉄扇, war fan disguised as a Sensu or courtier's handfan), she'd be fluttering it daintily in front of her lower face as she'd been taught to when flirting amongst the elites on a mission. (Though, she still wasn't confident in her Tessenjutsu technique.)

N: "I also quite admire how you've managed to integrate Gerudo textiles, colors, & patterning into the haori's design at the same time. I may have to inquire as to who made it. I may wish to request their services. It's strange, but… the two styles seem to meld together oddly well?"

Her praise & it's obvious, seemingly hopeful, insinuation to the parallels in their own possible future relationship made a fluttering, hesitant feeling of excitement bloom inside Ganondorf's chest.

G: "They… do seem to be quite… compatible, yes…"

Sheikah culture had always fascinated him. Coming from a warrior culture himself, he especially admired their traditions as fighters. Though, the fact that most were now so loyal to that cowardly, peace-loving Rauru & his wife after he'd stopped the fighting between them & the Rito, tended to sour that impression.

If not for that, he'd actually be quite the fan.

—

G: "I was wondering. That opening strike you performed in our first duel? How do you do that?"

Nemma giggled, the sound like tinkling bells to his ears.

N: "That was an Iaidō. It is a very difficult thing to learn. Why? Would you like me to teach you?"

Almost too quickly & with too much enthusiasm, Ganondorf said yes before clearing his throat & folding one of his arms over his chest, the other going up to cough into his closed fist as he looked away to hide the flush of embarrassment on his face.

G: "That… would be appreciated."

Nemma let the corners of her lips tug upwards only slightly.

N: "I'd be happy to."

---

Finally, after he'd proven himself capable at wielding all of the Shōki series, Ganondorf went to ask, but they ended up speaking at the same time, pausing when she offered to let him speak first.

At which point, he asked for her permission to court her, to which her eyes lit up in surprise before softening.

N: "It was my intention to ask you the same."

Ganondorf laughed, "Then, would I be correct in assuming that that is a, yes?"

N: "You would be correct."

And so, they began to court after tiptoeing around each other for weeks.

As time passed & they got more comfortable around each other, Nemma began to slowly become less formal with him.

---

The last of their deciding duels would end up being climactic. Downright epic. It'd be the one where she'd stop all pretenses & take out the Namikaze no Odori & really show him what she was made of. Not just physically, but as a battle mage as well.

Either Ganondorf had still managed to win or it ended in a tie, but either way they'd both need medical attention.

(Though, all throughout the fight, they had been making bedroom eyes at each other.)

That'd be when they both decided simultaneously, "this is who I'm going to marry."

Admittedly, Nemma would be somewhat frustrated at the fact that she hadn't won a single fight, but in the end, it would only encourage her to train harder.

Neither would posit the idea of marriage until at least another month or two of courting, but by then they'd both be completely committed.

Side-Note: While Ganondorf doesn't by any means gush, he does hum when he's in love & thinking about her. He also has a tendency to praise her, whether when speaking of her or to her.

Once he's ready, he'll take out a box, take her hands in his, flush slightly & avoid her eyes for a moment, suddenly feeling like a teenager again. Before shoring up his courage, placing the decorative box in her hands, opening it to present a crudely-made platinum ring with a moonstone set inside it, & looking her in the eye to declare, "Kàvt shïchïso yūg nï’jï." Which means, "Bind your soul with mine." It is a Gerudo proposal. Of course, by then, Nemma will only know the literal translation of the request (demand, really), but it doesn’t take a genius to figure out his intent. As a result, she will be somewhat mischievous by asking him if it is similar to how the Sheikah propose. Ganondorf would deflate somewhat, thinking that she was deflecting the conversation to avoid hurting him & would reply that he did not know & would ask how the Sheikah did it.

To which, Nemma would retrieve a little box from her bag & place it in his hand. At which point, he'd look at her in confusion, who would return the expression with one that said "open it."

Upon doing so, he'd lift the tiny lid to reveal the petals of Silent Princesses & Sweetheart Orchids. On top of which would be a strip of paper with the kanji, "結婚して下さい." (Kekkon shite kudasai.) Which is the formal way to ask someone to marry them. She'd tell him as such & then wait for it to register in his head what it meant that not only did she have that prepared, but that she'd given it to him. (A Sweetheart Orchid is a beautiful white flower with a pink, heart-shaped outline said to be favored by Karina, the Goddess of Love & Passion. They can be found in Faron & sparsely in Necluda, but they grow well on Tuft Mountain & Ebon Mountain.)

When he does (it didn't take long, barely even a second), Ganondorf's eyes will light up with realization & then soften with relief & joy before chuckling fondly & commenting that they were quite the pair. To which, she'd agree, taking the ring he'd gifted her & sliding it onto her ring finger to admire it. Though unrefined, it was obviously made with a lot of love & careful attention. The Gerudo King lit up at the sight of her officially accepting his proposal, then bent his head down & captured her lips in a kiss, which Nemma would return eagerly.

After proposing, they decide to wed at the beginning of next spring in celebration of Vah Kàvtrïna (or Kariaina-no-Mikoto to the Sheikah). Which was one of the few deities that both pantheons had in common.

---

Anyway, I just wanted to clear something up real quick. In a one-on-one fight, Ganondorf absolutely wins. No question.

However, the fact that not only a woman, but one so much smaller than him (damn near half his effing size, even) is able to consistently get so close to winning each time?

That's actually more of a credit to her own skills as a fighter than to his. Because by all accounts, he should effing body her, but he doesn't.

If she were born a Gerudo Vai & went through the same training that she had in her current life, she'd beat his ass! Because I tend to come at this from a perspective of Gerudo Vaien being, on average, about as strong as male Hylians, Sheikah, & humans. And that's largely due to their greater height & body weight than their non-Gerudo counterparts. A well-trained 7-foot dude could likely take a well-trained Gerudo Vaien of average height.

Back to Nemma though, if Ganondorf were one of her targets, she'd likely have taken the fact that he was male into account, as well his height & weight class & would instead have assassinated him rather than taking her chances in a one-on-one fight.

In such a situation, he'd be dead. Like, holy shit, he wouldn't stand a damn chance.

He might survive the first 2 attempts with steadily increasing paranoia, but the third would see him in a body bag.

Basically, he wins… provided that he can see her coming.

Which... now that I think of it... That could be a very interesting scene for him, just as a way to humble him a bit while still allowing him to maintain his dignity, as the fact that she's only able to consistently manage such a feat when she doesn't take him on one-on-one, would likely sooth whatever bruises his ego might take.

As such, it's the sort of thing he'd be able to take very early in their relationship.

As a result, he'd be able to look passed the initial sting of defeat & his ego to her as a person & the sheer amount of skill & dedication to her training it would take to become so strong as to put him on his ass even once, let alone consistently even if it is under a specific caveat.

And he'd be insanely turned on by it.

Like this:

Ganondorf & Nemma sat chatting idly one evening after dinner in his palace when he suddenly went silent, his eyes widening slightly before they began to dart around the room. (Quick Note: This “palace” was really more of a rock pueblo carved into the side of a hoodoo with a blue hole at the top, honestly; that's what the rock pillar that Gerudo Town is eventually built around is, this is just before the palace & walks have been built, so Gan's the only one living in a solid building, all the other Gerudo are residing in tents)

N: "Judging by the panic in your eyes, I suspect the poison has begun taking effect by now."

His eyes snapped to his fiancée in profound shock & honest, genuine betrayal. Wrinkles had formed on his forehead & his jaw had gone slightly slack inside his mouth. And the little muscle underneath his left eye twitching ever-so-slightly slightly with his rage was like a report on what he was thinking. With her mastery, his entire body was like an open book, it's pages eager to unfurl before her eyes.

In response, she reached across the table to caress his cheek fondly.

N: "Now, now. I do not plan on killing you, Koibito. I simply grew tired of your boasting. Holding the multiple successes that you won all our duels over my head. The poison will wear off in about an hour & you'll be none the worse for wear."

His eyes softened with relief. The wrinkles evening out, then scrunching slightly with curiosity.

The beautiful little Sheikah woman let out a quiet, bell-like giggle. She got up & began to walk around the table. The Gerudo voe's eyes following her as she went.

N: "My dear, handsome Gerudo King, you may overcome me in a straight fight..."

Upon arriving at his side, she turned him towards her & leaned over him, her eyes hooded as she examined his face.

N: "But... if you were a target... you'd be long dead by now…”

She saw his Nodobone (喉骨, literally “throat bone”) bob minutely in his throat. A small smile formed on her lips as she took a seat in his lap, straddling him, & began to stroke his chin.

N: "Just know that had I wished you dead... you would be."

With that, she kissed him tenderly. Then, she pulled back & fluttered her eyes up at him as her voice floated across her lips, light as a feather.

N: "And you wouldn't even know why. It wouldn't need to be poison either. I could shoot you with a bow from a distance away (all it takes is one), perhaps I shall use one of your own soldier's bows, thereby resulting in her being executed for treason? I haven't missed in years. Or I could sneak up behind you while your back was turned &...”

She fisted the back of his haori & rubbed her nose against his, his lip quivering slightly.

N: "Plunge my Sheikatō into your back... Or I could slip quietly into your room in the middle of the night while you sleep &..."

Her finger traced over his heart & she smiled innocently at how he shuttered, chest heaving beneath her fingertip.

N: "Stab you through the heart... I could even..."

*Risqué Content Warning*

Nemma then adjusted herself so that she was straddling Ganondorf. She rocked against his growing bulge, causing his throat to work & his thighs to twitch as he tried to gasp even though he could not open his mouth, his breath being sucked in sharply through his nostrils. The Shadow Warrior then whispered the rest of the sentence against his lips.

N: "Smother you with my womanhood & simply not let you up for air, though I doubt you would resist too terribly hard against that particular end."

Fuck, Ganondorf wasn't even sure if she was wrong on that. The large man's eyes were heavily lidded, pupils blown wide with lust, & Nemma could feel how he panted against her bosom. How he strained against his sirwàl.

N: "There are quite a lot of ways that I could go about it... but you need not worry… I wouldn't kill you unless you did something remarkably idiotic & unforgivable. Which, I think you're much too intelligent for."

She then pulled out a small glass vial from her pocket, unplugged it & took a swig.

The little Sheikah woman then leaned forward & kissed him, her mouth prying his lips open to deposit the fluid inside, his eyes closing as she did so, her tongue caressing his own as she tilted his head up, & her fingers massaging his throat so that he swallowed. Even after he'd done so, she lingered there for a few seconds longer.

*End of Risqué Content*

The man let out a little whimper as she backed away.

N: "That was the antidote. It'll start working in a minute or so."

Then, she pecked him on the lips once more, got up, smirking minutely at the rosy tint to his cheeks & hazy, lustful look in his eyes as they followed her movements before sauntering off. Fingers running up his chest & over his shoulder before disappearing out the door.

Ganondorf was left alone to process how effing hot that was & unable to relieve his excitement until the antidote kicked in.

That was definitely a new kink.

---

Anyway, I see Ganondorf as the sort who'd try to manipulate Nemma into loving him rather than kidnap her or force himself on her. At least, not unless she outright rejected him repeatedly in the beginning, which obviously doesn't happen. But in the process, he'll inevitably become obsessed with her.

However, in the process of making Nemma fall in love with him, his obsession, while persisting, begins to be outweighed by a genuine care, affection, & later even love for her. At which point, he would no longer be able to bring himself to do such things to her because, then, her happiness would be legitimately important to him.

He'd still be obsessed with her, as well as possessive & protective of her, but by that point, it'd be fueled by his love for her.

Even more than that, I want him to eventually come to value & respect her in a way that I'm not sure we ever see him do.

I want her to be important to him on several levels.

I also don't see Ganondorf being able to corrupt her unless something big & tragic happened to her personally. Like, her entire race was killed off & she was the only one left levels of big & tragic. It'd be an intense desire for revenge that would do it, but if it ever did happen, he might not like the monstrous stranger that would become of her because of it.

The thing is, she has a deep sense of honor & nerves forged from steel. So, without that tipping point, any of Ganondorf's attempts to corrupt her would be met with her softening him with her genuineness &, at first hesitant, affection without even trying to.

This could either end up being a boon or could cause a problem between them because never once will Nemma try to change Ganondorf, but he could very well try to change her. And depending on the story & if she ever realized this, she might just leave him for it.

I mean, she wouldn't ever go against him unless he did something genuinely stupid like disrespect her family's legacy or kill her grandmother or harm children, but she definitely wouldn't help him either after realizing that he tried to change her without her permission. The fact that he'd try something like that would result in an uncharacteristic insecurity & the first seeds of self-doubt.

Nemma is an innately self-assured individual, toughened by her own, hard-earned, sense of self-worth. So, it would take someone extremely important to her doing something like this to damage that.

As a result, this might force Ganondorf to learn to apologize & swear on his life that he'll never do that again. (I'm thinking about that one arc in Tale of Two Rulers.)

—

In some ways, Nemma very much confuses Ganondorf. One of her level of skill & ability should've been able to take over Hyrule quite easily. Especially with her skills in subterfuge.

---

During the time that Nemma was in the desert to learn the Dawallaham technique, her & Ganondorf would begin to court & figure their way around each other.

At some point, the 6th Tear Memory from TotK would take place, then the 7th, both with Nemma there as well, as Ganondorf introduces her as his fiancée. The pair even being seen wandering around together, seemingly on dates. Then, afterwards, they would return to the desert, with the large man eager to continue courting his future queen. (Courting, specifically, as they both went into this with the intention of seeing if the other is a good match for marriage. Dating is much more casual.)

I think that Ganondorf would wait to strike at Sonia when it was least expected. Which would require time for the Hyrulean Royal Family to let their guards down. Which could take anywhere from a few months to a year.

Either way, by the time he kills Sonia, Ganondorf & Nemma are already married.

However, they actually went to Hyrule a week early so that Nemma could show Ganondorf her home village.

Almost as soon as she arrived, they were overrun by little Sheikah children all excited to see their old cooking teacher back.

It warmed the giant man's heart to see how readily children gravitated to his fiancée & how easily she handled them.

She introduced him as her fiancé. The man she was going to marry & it made his chest swell with pride.

He did find it unusual how he only really got a couple of curious glances from the residents.

Not to say there wasn't at least one racist asshole, but the real surprise was how quickly those in the village came to his defense despite only really knowing of him as Nemma's rather large intended.

Though, the looks he got from the warriors were far & above more suspicious. Not necessarily judgmental so much as cautious & knowing in a way that was different from the ordinary civilians.

Despite this, he actually got several hostile glances & he'd believed that they were judging him based upon his race. Imagine his surprise when he realized that it was only other men who did so. Ganondorf was actually somewhat embarrassed that he hadn't realized sooner that their hostility was fueled by jealousy rather than racism. Which actually caused quite the pep in his step.

Anyway, Nemma took him to her childhood home at the Rikoka Hills just north of Kakariko then introduced him to her grandmother, Ayamay, who was… spunky for an old gal. He was then taken to the graveyard to meet her grandfather, Takka, where he made an offering. Though he had met the man twice long ago, once when the elder man was interviewing him for the types of weapons he wanted & again when the gentleman delivered the Shōki series to him. But addressing him now somehow felt... different.

It was odd. Ganondorf remembered the old man requesting that he spar with some of his subjects so that he could get a good read of his capabilities & had then asked him to share a drink with him afterwards. The Gerudo had been confused, but the elderly blacksmith had simply said that he wanted to better understand what he was all about.

It'd been the first & only time that Gdorf had had a male drinking buddy. Of course, he didn't loosen up until several drinks in, but by that point, Takka had begun chatting about his family. Ganondorf remembered quite distinctly the man expressing a type of warm pride in his granddaughter. (The King had been internally nervous, but actually found it... nice...)

Ganondorf wondered... had the elder known that the Gerudo king would be marrying that same granddaughter, would he have approved?

Anyway, his stay in the village was… strangely pleasant. Though it was, indeed, quite slow there & he could see where Nemma's concerns lay.

Many of the younger generation were uninterested in the ways of the Shadow Warrior & instead showed the trademarks of inventors & researchers. Which, while admirable professions, it was also honestly quite depressing. He'd be greatly disappointed if this trend continued. (He couldn't even imagine the dread that would fill him if he noticed the same trends in the Gerudo.)

However, it was also fun to be able to practice his Sheikah with someone other than Nemma despite how wonderful of a conversationalist she was.

As for their stay at the capitol, Ganondorf was high-key racist against the Zonai & even Hylians to a degree & this fact becomes very evident to Nemma during their week visiting Rauru's palace upon the Great Plateau.

For all Ganondorf's belly-aching about entitled Zonai & Hylians, Nemma had only experienced such things around the upper class. Particularly, some of her least favored clients. In truth, much like with any other race, the common Hyrulean was fairly humble & easy to get along with. Though, again, that was fairly standard. Most of the higher-ups among the Gerudo were also quite entitled, just in a different way to those in Hyrule. Being more brash & blunt about it.

Though, in many ways, Nemma admitted that she honestly preferred the Gerudo elite's blunter & more honest, if rude, entitlement over the more snake-like, conniving egos of Hyrule's own wealthy elite. At least entitled Gerudo were straightforward when they thought themselves better than you &, the warrior race being what it was, if one of them said something that the Sheikah couldn't tolerate, it was at least considered perfectly acceptable to challenge whatever Vai insulted her to a duel. This is due to their Might Makes Right philosophy.

Such was not the case within Hyrulean society. Especially amongst the upper crust.

Anyway, surrounding the palace was a very small town where several Hyruleans lived.

(Insert some things they do during their stay at the capitol.)

---

I think their first real argument would happen while visiting Hyrule for Ganondorf's ruse. He'd have gone with her upon her hearing of a nearby Silver Lynel that was attacking a tiny hamlet. (While the Shrines of Light took care of most of the monsters in Hyrule, they couldn't seal away the more powerful ones. Nor the ones that weren't made of pure evil magic.) While not an innately altruistic individual, Nemma values children as a society's greatest treasure. To be protected at all costs. So, upon hearing how one of the Lynel's victims was a little girl, she'd dropped everything & ended the beast.

She & Ganondorf had returned to Castle Town where she was selling off the guts & half the hooves when Ganondorf made a quip about her serving the goat now & she'd rounded on him furious.

This would be witnessed by the Hylian Guards, who'd later inform Rauru, which would lead to him making some incorrect assumptions about Nemma's loyalties.

---

Anyway, the argument eventually loses steam once Nemma admits that the reason why she was so quick to take out that Lynel, was because she'd heard that it'd trampled a little girl to death.

To which, Ganondorf goes quiet. That, yeah, that made sense.

Lynels always were vicious...

Awkwardly, he draws close to her & places his massive hands upon her shoulders. Still not quite used to positive physical interaction.

"I..."

His mouth snapped closed. Why couldn't he do it?! It was just 2 simple words! Yes, apologizing was beneath him, but Nemma wasn't as she'd proven to him repeatedly! So, why couldn't he give her the slightest comfort??

He quickly buried the tiny voice in the back of his mind that said, ‘because no one has ever comforted me before; I don't know how…’ as it set his stomach churning.

Suddenly, the yàyai'làra (little warrior woman) places a tiny, callused hand upon his own.

"It's alright. I understand. You don't have to say it."

Ganondorf was suddenly flooded with a strange sensation of relief & a warm feeling that he still couldn't quite identify, but he was quickly beginning to associate it with the small woman. The sensation bloomed in his chest.

But that feeling was also followed by shame at not being able to say such simple words.

---

However, Nemma will also begin to expand Ganondorf's understanding of reality by unobtrusively questioning his beliefs.

N: "I suppose that I simply don't understand your fixation with Hyrule."

G: "Don't tell me that you actually agree with that old goat that peace is best."

Nemma would hum doubtfully before replying.

N: "Honestly? I don't think either of you are truly correct in whole."

This caught Ganondorf's attention.

N: "I believe that you are correct that the strong are forged in fire. After all, you can only forge a sword by pounding it into shape. However, I don't necessarily believe Rauru to be wrong for wishing for peace as well."

N: "Think of it this way, you as a warrior like I, know how a body becomes strong, yes? You train, but you don't train at all hours. To become strong, we cannot be expected to be forever in conflict. If we were, we would quickly lose stamina & die. Our muscles can only build upon themselves if we allow them the time to repair themselves. The same is true for everything. To become all that we can be, we need balance. Does that make sense?"

The Gerudo King hummed curiously as he took in her words. No one had ever explained it like that to him before.

When spoken like that, it made sense.

N: "Everything has its place, even chaos. I believe that by choosing just one, you both blind yourselves & begin to disregard the uses of the other. There is merit in chaos, but there is also merit in order. Life is in a constant state of flux & change. To behave otherwise would be to invite stagnation & entropy. So, if one were to always be at war, would that not also invite its own form of stagnation?"

G: "So, you see peace as a moment's rest between conflicts. A calm in the storm if you will."

N: "Something like that, I suppose. In a way, I think that war strengthens the body, peace hones the mind, & both refine the spirit, simply in different ways. You need both to be truly strong in more ways than just physically."

Her logic was sound… but it went against everything he'd ever been taught. A part of Ganondorf was resistant to the idea, but… he also couldn't fault her thinking.

He'd… have to think about this…

Normally, Ganondorf wouldn't even entertain the idea that peace had a place in his vision of a new kingdom. He is only really considering her words because, by now, he knows her to not be the sort who'd deceive him.

It seemed to him that she'd thought about this subject before.

An unfortunately familiar sense of anxiety settled into his stomach.

G: “But… How does one find purpose during such a calm when all one has ever known is conflict & struggle? What are warriors who have no war left to fight in?”

That was when he felt a hand gently placed upon his own. Starting for a moment, he looked down to see the magnificent, confusing woman's paradoxically strong, yet delicate hand upon his own. And he couldn't help how his own hand turned over to grasp hers in a loose grip almost automatically.

N: “Does the moon stop being the moon when it is daytime?”

G: *a small huff of a laugh* “I suppose not…”

In a way it was comforting.

N: “Correct. You & I, we will likely always have that warrior spirit within us, but it is not a cage that traps us nor chains that bind us. It is simply one aspect of our overall selves. And when that aspect is no longer of use for the moment, we become free to indulge in other aspects of ourselves & discover new ones.”

N: "Of course, that doesn't mean that we leave behind the other, for it is as much a part of us as anything else we unearth about ourselves."

Ganondorf was silent. Unusually contemplative. He'd have to think about this.

---

Anyway, during the course of their courting & engagement, I think that a small group of Gerudo will become jealous & try to find ways to get rid of Nemma, but it will always end in defeat. Some of which likely having been previous flings of Ganondorf's, or possibly even some of his Va'màziahen (concubines), which he'd let go not long after they became engaged.

But, even when these Vaien resort to poisoning her food, it'll fail as Nemma is a Dokuso Shokushei or Toxin Mistress. Which are Shadowfolk trained in the art of Dokusojutsu, including the creation, identification, & various uses (whether it be to kill or create medicines) of deadly toxins.

And one of the requirements for becoming eligible for taking the test to become a Toxin Master or Mistress is to complete toxin immunization training. This involves slowly ingesting small amount of toxic substances over time until you build up a resistance & immunity to them.

This is the tattoo that you get when you become recognized as such:

Not only is Nemma a certified & recognized Toxin Mistress able to quickly identify the signs of poison, but she has created a type of nail polish that reacts to the presence of toxic material by chemical reaction. As a result, it's become habit to swirl the tip of her finger in her drink & check her nails.

Even if she accidentally forgot to do this, in order to kill her, it'd have to be horrifically deadly & insanely fast-acting to actually kill her. We're talking cyanide levels of toxic & fast-acting here.

Otherwise, she'll be able to identify it almost instantly by a combination of smell, taste, & symptom, then manage to create an effective antidote very quickly.

Even then, if she identifies the poison as being something she's completely immune to, she'll likely just ingest it anyway as a sort of message that she isn't going anywhere before subtly being on the lookout for who exactly did it to begin with.

And when these Vaien outright challenge her, she very soundly beats them all. Which, honestly, Ganondorf finds effing hot. He quite enjoys watching Nemma absolutely destroying challengers to establish dominance, as well as her right to be at his side permanently.

And, as per the yandere trope, any Vaien (women, as in plural) who manages to survive through Nemma beating them, Gdorf later kills himself.

He can't have some surmúta (slut or harlot; a gender-neutral term) who wants his future wife dead running around, now can he?

(Just for reference, I see concubines & one-night stands being considered fine in Gerudo culture so long as you aren't married. The reason being that I see the Gerudo, just as a race, as being very exclusive with their romantic relationships & decently exclusive with who has access to their bodies. To them, infidelity is considered a taboo, right up there with pedophilia or beastiality or most other gross things that only mentally disturbed people do & is punishable by death. And open relationships are just an absolute no. Poly relationships do exist, at least technically to an extent. But only really in the form of throuples & even just having 2 partners is considered pushing it & such relationships are looked upon unfavorably. And, while there have been cases of quadrouples, it is extremely rare & very, very, very frowned upon. Not to mention the subject of ridicule. As such, the Gerudo's name for such relationships reflects their beliefs of how many people are acceptable as they are referred to as Zay’tzèxad’úl Màtu or “Two-Handed Love.” Meanwhile, ones with more people involved than that are referred to as Nïsavashorqīs Màtu meaning “Self-Destructive Love” or Harnī Múta meaning “Mad Lust” or Vashorqīs Múta meaning “Destructive Lust” or Dōrkàvt Múta meaning “Bondless Lust.”)

(And in Gerudo custom, when you begin courting, you are expected to get rid of your concubines/concubini. Period. End of story. If they aren't gone by the night before the wedding, you can expect some serious side-eye & many an unsavory rumor. Whenever the line of succession for the position of Gerudo monarch or chieftain was changed, a lot of the time, it was due to a revolt from the people after it came out that either the chief or one of the monarchs was unfaithful to their spouse.)

(Now, divorcing wasn't common & not something the Gerudo considered a good thing, but it was far & above preferred compared to infidelity. And courting & getting married again after a divorce or the death of a spouse, is considered totally fine & even natural... so long as it isn't too soon after...)

—

At some point, Nemma learns that the Gerudo's Spirit Temple seems to possess Mind's Eye adjacent iconography as well, & she later learns that Priestesses of the Gerudo Moon Goddess, Vah Amàhrta, are trained in the way of the Mind's Eye as well.

Knowing that there is someone who actively knows what they're doing in regard to such things, Nemma pleads to be taught. Which comes as to a surprise to both the Priestesses & Ganondorf.

It's only after she explains her fear that her people are losing their identity & that the Mind's Eye is part of said identity that they think on it before finally accepting.

Though, the Gerudo refer to the technique as the Euyinen al'Màh'è (Eyes of the Moon).

—

Later, I want a Keaton, whom I'll name Satoshi, to appear before Nemma & better teach her how to open her Mind's Eye due to how promising of a Sheikah warrior she is. As that is part of my hc about the Mind's Eye, the Keaton being sort of like guardian spirits to the Sheikah.

The reason it's necessary is that there are just some slight differences in how the Mind's Eye & Eyes of the Moon work.

For one, the Sheikah method revolves more around meditation, including philosophies such as IRL Kiko (basically the Japanese name for Qigong), Tummo, Aiki-Jūjutsu, yoga, activating the Chakrahs, & just overall spiritual growth & maturation. Which, Nemma won't initially vibe with, just due to how rational & practical she is, but she is determined to do this regardless.

She will end up finding merit in things like yoga, Tummo, & Aiki-Jūjutsu pretty quickly though as yoga promotes flexibility, Tummo teaches one how to control your own body temperature through meditation & controlled breathing, while Aiki-Jūjutsu blends together the styles of the passive, more spiritual, harmony, & healing focused Aikidō & the more harder hitting & aggressive style of Jūjutsu. In other words, promoting a balance. It also includes the art of Aikidō Atemi, which is pressure point striking & is something that Nemma would be very interested in as well as the Jūjutsu portion of the training.

Though, she'll initially have mixed feelings about learning Aiki-Jūjutsu as she'd never really learned any hand-to-hand, being more weapon-oriented. At the same time, she'll definitely see the merit in learning it. In all honestly, she's somewhat nervous about not doing well due to her inexperience.

That isn't to say that she will slack off or disregard the other parts of her training, but she will definitely show more vim & vigor when training in these specific parts until she's reached a point where she begins to truly appreciate the more spiritual aspects of the training.

The reason being the discovery that the reason why the Sheikah had begun to lose their warrior identity recently is, in part, due to losing their spiritual center as the Sheikah, just as a people, were created with a deep connection to the spiritual world. So, by losing that core aspect of themselves, they essentially lose themselves as well.

Even the ascetic training that Moz Koshia is currently going through has lost quite a lot of the old traditions by being more heavily influenced by Zonai/Hylian theology. The realization of this makes Nemma look at the ascetic training differently & begin to apply more seriousness to it.

For a while, she becomes bitter towards the Royal Family until Satoshi informs her that this spiritual degradation in the Sheikah's culture wasn't something that was done intentionally. It's just the way of things that cultures become influenced by other cultures & results in consequences. Some of said consequences can be very good, while others can be very bad. His point in informing her wasn't to discourage intercultural relations or hatred of the Hyrule Royal Family or Zonai, but rather awareness & an understanding of why some traditions come to pass.

In fact, not all traditions are good & some can even become very detrimental to the society & its people, thus needing to be abandoned for the sake of the overall culture. It was, in fact, the consequences of one of the Gerudo's own ancient philosophies that originally resulted in their female-only curse. Which very much interested Nemma, but Satoshi seemed to think that he said too much on the subject & promptly clammed up on her.

Anyway, she wouldn't necessarily need to reach enlightenment to activate the Mind's Eye but would at least need to open the Ajna Chakrah to master it. Which is good because, just as an individual, she wouldn't be able to let go of all earthly attachments anyway.

(For a more in-depth idea of the Mind's Eye, go here.)

There's also her needing to know how to teach these things to others in order to help keep her culture's traditions strong.

As Satoshi trains her, she'll be introduced to one of the Sheikah's ancient tasks: putting to rest the souls of the dead. This can be done either by playing the Song of Healing, which he'll teach her, or by "killing" them with a weapon forged with ancient Sheikah weaponsmithing techniques & inscribed with ancient Sheikah Fūinjutsu runes used specifically for this, known here as Sheishin Fūinjutsu (Spirit Sealing Method), taught to the Sheikah by Sheikaku, the old, forgotten god of death, spirits, & the moon who created the Sheikah several thousands of years ago. (Which you can see examples of Sheishin Fūinjutsu featured on both the Depths Set & the Dark Clumps in TotK.)

Afterwards, it was necessary to go through an ancient & sacred ritual on either the night of the Full Moon, New Moon, or either the Waning Crescent Moon or the Waxing Gibbous Moon &, if your work pleased Sheikaku & your prayers were honest, then he would bless your weapon.

In fact, he said that it was best to make the weapons in an actual forge considering how they are such holy places. Which caught Nemma's attention. She'd always known that there was something special about her home, but she'd never heard that it was holy. This led into a discussion of the spiritual aspect of swords in the ancient Sheikah culture.

But that's for later. Anyway, when a Poe Soul (the non-combative Poes you find in the Depths of TotK) gains too many potent negative emotions, it will rise from the Depths & manifest a body of pseudo-flesh made out of pure evil magic fueled by On'nen (怨念, a mix of hatred, grudement, malice, vengeance, & resentfulness that can consume spirits & make them furious or malicious & causes evil spirits to be even more so). That's what the Dark Clumps are. Solidified On'nenmahō (怨念魔法, on'nen magic) or On'nenmaryoku (怨念魔力, on'nen magic power), which is a part of a very specific, very evil branch of Yōki, called Jaki (邪気, evil energy).

And those strips of paper on them are sealing tags using Sheishin Fūinjutsu to keep the flesh from reconstituting into another problem.

These Enemy Poes can only be beaten by Light/Twilight or Spirit magic with a weapon blessed by a death a/o spirit god, which Sheikaku was both.

These same methods are also effective against other dead or undead enemies such as Stals, Redeads, & Gibdos, as well as Akuma (evil entities that are fueled by On'nen; basically, the non-animal monsters of the games such as Darknuts, Iron Knuckles, Lynels, ect).

Either way, Nemma will be excited to learn damn near all these things as they are right up her alley.

She'd reforge her Sheikatō for the purposes of having them blessed.

And, upon going to sleep after seemingly failing the ritual, Nemma woke to find herself on a grassy cliff overlooking a vast forest, looking up at the full moon.

Beside her sat a… being. He was very large (like, as large if not larger than Ganondorf), with silvery-white hair like her own, blue & red facial markings & four glowing silvery irises.

He gazed up at the moon before gazing down at the duel swords in his hand.

It was the Sheikatō that she'd forged & prayed for Sheikaku to bless.

He then turned to her & began to speak to her in SHS.

S: "It has been a long time since anyone has asked for me to bless a weapon. You did well."

S: "You… remind me of my sister, Karina… You even fight using similar weapons... I… miss her…" His expression seemed to become distant for a moment as he seemed to see something in her than she didn't know. Then his face shift to one of loss before returning to stoic.

S: "Use these Sheikatō to bring peace to those who are unable to obtain it on their own."

S: "We will meet again. However, you will not know that it is I & I will not know that it is you. Be safe &... I wish you good fortune with your other half…"

She then woke to find the Sheishin Fūinjutsu on her Sheikatō glowing faintly in rhythm like slow, dual heartbeats.

—

Nemma sometimes just marvels at how ridiculously tall all the Gerudo are, especially Ganondorf. She only reaches his elbows when standing with his arms at his sides. And it wasn't just his height that stunned her, but also his overall girth as a result of obviously intense training. He could probably crush a Hydromelon between his thighs!

Ganondorf, of course, noticed her staring fairly quickly, but didn't initially know why. It isn't until later when he overhears a conversation that Nemma had with her new yaidja (guardswoman) friend, Tïsàla, that he learns why.

He already has a bit of a size kink, so hearing the target of his attentions commenting, in awe, of his height gave him a bit of an ego boost. Then to hear her take notice of how much hard work he put into his body, left him positively preening.

He nearly laughed at the Hydromelon comment & wondered what she'd do if she actually saw him do that.

Either way, after hearing all that, he begins to make a bit of a habit of showing himself off around her whenever he notices her staring. Not to mention tending to make the effort to emphasize his full height & intentionally loom over her. The expressions she makes never fail to stroke his masculine pride & make him chuckle.

---

As mentioned above, I also see Ganondorf having a major size-difference kink. Gerudo Vaien are already taller than Human, Hylian, & Sheikah men, who themselves are taller than their feminine counterparts, so Gerudo Voen are even more so. As a result, Nemma would appear to be just so incredibly tiny & delicate to him. Almost like a porcelain doll that he could break without noticing if he wasn't careful.

Then, to learn that she was combat proficient enough that she nearly beat him in a one-on-one fight? It'd create the most satisfying juxtaposition in his mind. Small, but mighty. ♡

And he'd be the first she'd ever chosen to give herself to?

Whoo! It would thrill him to no end!

However, I don't think that it'd start out as being a very healthy relationship. A main focus of the story is the 2 navigating around each other & learning to be a legitimately functional & healthy couple. Gdorf specifically learning how to let her in & be someone other than the King of Evil with her. Which is difficult for him to do as that's who his adï'vàman (adoptive mothers) raised him to be.

Which... I see them having issues with each other... Kōme & Kotake because I get the impression that they're just effing racist as shit as well as not liking the fact that this girl seems to be softening their boy up & Nemma because they seem to have beef with her & she's also getting distinct trauma bonding vibes from their & Ganondorf's relationship that really rubs her the wrong way.

Eventually, Nemma becomes one of the only people that Ganondorf is gentle & kind with. She becomes his soft spot & his safe space all-in-one.

Kōme & Kotake both seem to realize this & become determined to be rid of her. Which will eventually end up pitting them against Ganondorf.

---

Nemma has very spartan tastes, is independent, self-sufficient, & practical, as well as not generally being very materialistic or greedy, so she's not overly enthusiastic about jewelry unless they happen to double as something functional & isn't gaudy. (If she has to wear jewelry, she prefers the pretty, yet classy sorts.) Like rings that work well as knuckledusters or an earring with a Gossip Stone in it to communicate with someone long-distance or jewelry that uses crystomagy (gem enhancement infusion magic such as the Gerudo's Zennō style) to help with environmental obstacles such as heat or cold or heeled shoes that have blades for the heels or Kôgai that double as daggers like the ones she generally wears.

Ganondorf seems the type to try & shower her in expensive, extravagant, yet ultimately frivolous, gifts such as fine silks & ostentatious, glittering jewelry, which she'd find pretty, but rather worthless. She wouldn't really be impressed.

While she does enjoy pretty things, fashionable clothes, nice patterns, dressing up, & looking nice, she far & above prefers utility, practicality, & functionality over something that just looks nice. Clothes that are both fashionable & functional, even more so. So, to really impress her, Ganondorf would have to get her gifts that strike a balance between expensive, high-quality, & beautiful, as well as useful & battle ready to really get her attention. Not because she demands expensive things, but because Gdorf refuses to give her anything less than that. (He's got a lot of pride like that & can come across as sort of a snob as a result.)

As such, this might cause a tiny bit of friction between them initially. Nothing too serious, but it'll be there. It's just one of those things that they'll have to work around.

Anyway, once he's learned her preferences, Ganondorf will still give her extravagant gifts in public. Things like decorative vases, bejeweled tiaras, those sorts of things. However, those are more for the sake of keeping up appearances & Nemma knows this, so she doesn't mind. Doesn't necessarily understand, but she doesn't mind. He has a reputation to uphold after all.

However, the really important gifts that actually mean something, he tends to give to her in private. This is due to Nemma tending to do this as she doesn't really see a need for so much fanfare. Nothing she gives Ganondorf is for purely presentation, but rather it is always something she genuinely believes that he'll enjoy or, at least, will mean something significant to him. Which was a strange concept to him as most of the gifts he's ever been given were frivolous or superficial in nature.

Such gifts he'll give in private will include cookbooks, calligraphy supplies (which, Sheikah & Gerudo use similar tools to write, that being brushes instead of quills like many in Hyrule tend to), new weapons, maps, jewelry with gemstones that have been infused with magic to either act as a magical focus or to help overcome an environmental hazard, or better tools. Hell, even high-quality forging materials such as uncut gemstones & Dawasaaq iron from the Highlands Mine tends to get a giggle of excitement from her. Just things that she'd use or be interested in.

By the time they're married, he won't really make much of a fuss over clothes or extravagant jewelry anymore though. Rather, he'll just quietly switch out her clothes for the same thing, but with higher quality materials. Though, only if the higher quality would improve their usefulness.

Nemma is initially confused, if pleasantly surprised, before she notices her partner's curiosity, as though wanting something. She then quickly realizes what he'd done & proceeds to kiss him sweetly before thanking him. To which he smiles, an uncharacteristic tenderness in his eyes.

Anyway, she actually likes dressing up so long as she's still able to move freely, if it's not super extravagant to the point where it isn't practical or gaudy, & always has access to weapons, but if she has to dress very fancily, then she'll do it begrudgingly if the one asking her is someone she cares about. But she'd still require access to weapons. She refuses to go anywhere without some form of protection.

She'll likely have difficulty getting used to the Streshibpen (Gerudo-style heeled shoes with wing-like protrusions on the sides, as worn by Urbosa), but she's willing to give it a shot. However, she does require that the ones she owns have blades in the heels & steel toes so that if anyone sneaks up on her, she can show them what a bad idea that is.

Actually, has excellent taste in fashion & enjoys looking nice despite not indulging in her more feminine traits often. Mostly due to her father's rejection of her because of her sex. This resulted in her having a somewhat negative view of femininity even though she's aware that her opinion is likely influenced by her father. Living in close proximity to Gerudo will likely help her to become on better terms with her own femininity.

Nemma has also begun to take up lapidary so that she'll always have access to the right gem.

And, while she's not an extremely jewelry-focused girl (though, she'll always take time to admire high-quality work), she knows that jewelry is a symbol of many things amongst the Gerudo, from financial power to luxury to status & even just good taste, so she likes to make Ganondorf little things every once in a while. Which, she finds it funny that he likes jewelry more than her & sometimes teases him about it.

However, she didn’t know that gifting your significant other with jewelry that you made yourself was actually the traditional way for Gerudo to propose until she gave her then husband at the time one. At which point he’d looked at her oddly then inquired if she understood the significance of the action, then informing her. Of course, being the somewhat mischievous individual that she was, she’d then spun the situation around on him by telling him that, “well, I’m honestly not particularly inclined to cease such habits, so perhaps it’s time to expand upon such a tradition?”

The king looked at his queen rather curiously. Nemma gave him as rare smile, “simply receive it as my way of informing you that ‘I would marry you all over again if I could.’” At which point, the large man’s heart leapt in his chest, a flush dawning his cheeks as she leaned in to give him a sweet peck on the rosy flesh before promptly walking off. As though she hadn’t just melted his cold heart with a single sentence. A minute or 2 after she’d left, he clutched the piece in his hand, looking at it before his surprised expression melted as warmth filled his chest.

And true to her word, the Sheikah woman had continued to make him jewelry & each & every time, he found himself recalling her words & cherishing them just a little bit more. It’s due to this that her semi-joke actually became grounded in reality as even 10,000 years later, Gerudo Vaien have continued to follow her example (though, somewhat altered by time) by giving their husbands handmade trinkets as not all Hylian men seem fond of jewelry. And when faced with a problem, you adapt. So, now, handmade jewelry is for proposal, but handmade items, clothes, & trinkets are now also used to showcase a reaffirmation of love.

Anyway, back to the story, the jewelry that Nemma makes for him is never anything excessive or too overly fancy, but it manages to strike that perfect balance between ostentatious, dashing, & classy.

She likes to practice all the Gerudo patterns that she'd learned, sometimes even mixing on a few Sheikah patterns as a subtle way of staking her claim on him. Which Ganondorf absolutely notices & it always makes him smile seeing the little Sheikah iconography adorning his regalia. It became a tiny bit of a game between them: Find the Sheikah symbol.

(A/N: Which there really doesn't seem to be much of beyond the various iterations of the Mind's Eye pattern.)

He likes to wear the jewelry she makes for him & one of his favorites is the brow ornament that she made. It had runes engraved in the back that allowed it to stick tight to his forehead, which made it less intrusive in battle. This was part of why he generally didn't wear a crown as he didn't like the idea that an opponent could take advantage of that.

But this battle crown of sorts erased such a possibility, so he found himself wearing it regularly.

It was quite the attractive work. Made of gold & in the shape of the sun with a large Sunstone embedded in the center.

(A/N: I changed it slightly so that the flowers along the basket matches the colors of Ganondorf's haori's lining. And, while you can't see it, the circles around that basket as part of the "S" border pattern actually have tiny little Sheikah eyes inside them. They're so small that, if this were a real piece of jewelry, you'd likely have to use a magnifying glass to see them, but they're there.)

(See? It isn't really something that's important, so much as I just wanted to put it in there. Also, it'd mystify the hell outta Ganon as he tries to puzzle out how the absolute eff she managed to do it.)

---

During their courtship, the most useful gifts that Ganondorf gives her is a well-trained horse, a well-trained Sand Seal, & a well-trained Sand Cat or Gel'gàtï.

The horse is actually one of Rauru's white stallions. Ganondorf stole it. Nemma jokingly named him Old Cabrón, which Cabrón is a triple-layered joke. It's a Zonai name meaning "goat," but Zonai often use it to call each other asshole.

The fact that she named one of Rauru's white stallions this after it was stolen, is a pretty obvious & cheeky jab that has Ganondorf breathless with laughter when it clicks. (And a little bit of a sassy take that. Though I don't see Rauru as the type to get offended. In fact, I see him doing a spitake before laughing heartily. Even appreciating the well-thought out pun. We stan dad joke-loving Rauru in this house. Though, he might keep the fact that his people had more in common with felines to himself in order to avoid ruining the joke.)

Old Cabrón is mostly only for the Royal Envoy. Ya know, presentation. When she's in Hyrule for an actual bounty or hit job, she uses her grey dappled mare, Mira, meaning "beautiful storm." Her coat is a stormy grey with lighter grey dappling & muzzle.

While Old Cabrón is well-trained, at least as a show pony, he really doesn't do well in conflict.

Mira, however, while not specifically a war horse, will let herself be lead across water to ford rivers & won't immediately run in the presence of monsters. So, that makes her more valuable as a mount, but her appearance isn't the best impression as far as royalty.

The pair usually end up staying at the Canyon Stable with Ganondorf's steed, Jawàrik. Named after an old Gerudo god of war.

I do think it'd be funny if Jawàrik & Cabrón ended up fighting each other over Mira & she ends up mating both & having a pair of heteroparental colts.

All that special breeding, wasted because of one dapple gray mare! XD

Anyway, Nemma would still use Mira fairly often when completing bounties in Hyrule.

The Sand Seal is a sweet & happy bull that Nemma names Yukio, to mean "joyful boy." It turns out that he's from the same litter as Ganondorf's own Sand Seal, Gàlondo. Named after another old Gerudo god of war. This one, theologically speaking, having been the son of Jawàrik. (Gdorf quite enjoys mythology in case you haven't noticed. Specifically, the mythology of his own race. Though, he's also become rather interested in Sheikah mythology as well lately.) Gàlondo is quite a bit quieter & more stoic than his younger brother. He's also somewhat bigger. Their dynamic is basically quiet, aloof cat & silly, happy, affectionate cat. Gàlondo tolerates his brother's antics.

Ganondorf's final extremely useful gift was a sweet, yet sassy little Sand Cat that Nemma names Chika, for intelligence & wisdom.

Sand Cats are very small, even compared to most house cats, but also deadly hunters & trackers. Making them useful for hunting & are also very wonderful, affectionate, if sassy companions. Their size & unusually long claws allows them to perch easily upon the shoulders of Gerudo even when sand surfing. They are mostly a sandy color with white underbellies & spots not unlike that of a cheetah in real life. Chika ends up being sort of Nemma's silent bodyguard & goes damn near everywhere with her when out of the palace. She can often be found either perched on Nemma's shoulder with ears & eyes alert or curled up in her lap.

This makes Chika & Yukio the ideal companions for Nemma whenever she wishes to explore the desert.

Ganondorf also goes along with Nemma whenever he gets the chance. Partly to keep his skills sharp & party to keep his love safe. He wouldn't be able to do it always, but he'd try to do so whenever he could & he was always welcome.

Mira, though, is gentle & sweet with a surprisingly strong will. Jawàrik is stern & grumpy, as well as being well-trained as a war horse. As for Old Cabrón, he's... a little bit of a diva, but isn't difficult to deal with otherwise. Imagine if Maximus had Eugene's personality. (Both from Tangled.)

So, Nemma definitely has quite the menagerie going on at this point.

Nemma also already has a carrier hawk named Dantey that she's been using to correspond with her grandmother back in Kakariko & had been training as a battle hawk. He & Chika get on surprisingly well. At the same time, Chika & Yukio also get along very well, while Dantey was initially somewhat put off by the large seal's enthusiasm, but much like Gàlondo, will eventually begin to tolerate him before learning to like him & even fuss over him.

Not that Ganondorf gives her all these animals at once.

—

One of Nemma's many duties as queen will involve dancing & it's especially important for her wedding day. However, dancing just isn't something she'll have ever even thought about before beyond for festivals. At the same time, due to it being part of her responsibilities, she'll put her all into it as she is an extremely responsible individual who takes duty very seriously.

While, initially, she won't be very quick to learn, that will change once Tïsàla, her guard friend, brings up the idea of al'Tàrren'è al'Saadïdjéda (the Guarding Dance of the Crescents), the Gerudo style of self-defensive scimitar swordfighting that utilizes dance in its movements. She'll naturally gravitate more towards al'Yusréda'vùnen'è al'Dïnatàrr style (the Crescent Dance of the Rushing Winds), which involves dual-wielding scimitars, rather than al'Forzumàh'è al'Dïnatàrr style (the Crescent Dance of the Moonflower), which substitutes one scimitar for a shield.

Upon being able to correlate dancing to fighting, she goes from struggling to excelling as though everything suddenly clicks into place inside her head. After which, she quickly begins enjoying herself & is able to apply those same ideas to her regular dance lessons. Though, she'll always be most comfortable with a weapon in her hand, she does grow to appreciate regular dancing as well.

Already she was beginning to think of how she could integrate the fighting style into her pre-existing one, which she believes will grant her more fluidity, flexibility, & dynamism as Sheikah Kenjutsu tends to be very direct, much like herself. She quite likes the dervish-like movements.

After getting confident enough with dancing on her own, Ganondorf is brought in to help her learn to dance as a pair.

It's now something they both very much enjoy doing together.

---

Nemma has a do-it-myself-personally sort of attitude & this results in her being seen as a lone wolf type. When something needs to be done & everyone else is too busy wasting time trying to figure out an over-complicated strategy to deal with it, (if she deems it necessary) she'll just go & deal with it herself.

That isn't to say that she's rash or doesn't think. Quite the contrary, she's extremely intelligent & strategic, but she's also best at on-the-fly planning & is just an overall decisive individual.

99.99% of the time, her missions end in success even if she comes back somewhat injured.

However, this will tend to stress Ganondorf out quite a bit because he, just as an individual, is very controlling & worries about her.

This will end up being their second real argument.

Regardless of how the argument ends, Nemma will have to learn to trust & work together with others more & Ganondorf will have to learn to be less controlling.

---

One way that Nemma does this is by cooking for & with others as this was one of her most fondly remembered ways of bonding with her grandmother. She actually gets along well with the cooks & though shocked that their king's fiancée was gracing them with her presence, they respect her do-it-myself attitude. They are also extremely interested in the many, many different recipes she's learned from all over & some are even interested in hearing the history & cultural significance behind those dishes. She quickly makes friends with one of the chefs, Nīra.

Ganondorf, despite having initially been against her cooking her own meals, believing it to be the work of servants, he quickly shuts up upon actually trying her cooking.

He ends up loving it & begins to try to cook with her to bond. But it turns out that he's terrible at it. (Which he's honest enough with himself to recognize.)

However, Nemma is patient & encouraging with him. Teaching comes naturally to her as she used to teach the Kakariko children how to cook as well as about the history behind certain dishes & which ingredients give the best results.

One of her great joys is learning new dishes from where she travels, as well as the history behind them. The Sheikah refer to it as Bunka Bishoku. In real life, it is called cultural gastronomy.

Nemma now cooks for them almost every night. Though not during royal functions, of course.

Likewise, she has also begun to teach Nīra Tabemono no Madō (食べ物の魔道, art of food magic), which she is very knowledgeable in, thereby making her a Danro Madōjo (暖炉魔道魔女, hearth magess).

In essence, Tabemono no Madō is hearth magic, which is much like magical nutritional gastronomy, a.k.a. nutritional gastromagy.

Meaning that she's able to produce food with magical buffs the same way that Link can. Though, she has a much more technical ability with it due to merging it with actual nutritional gastronomy.

---

While, normally, the Dai Kaiten Giri (Great Spin Attack) is a mobile spinning attack with great reach when using most swords.

Nemma finds that when utilized with the Yusréda'vúnen'è al'Dïnatàrr style & Shim'tàrren (scimitars), the attack's aura extends upwards into a cone-shape much like a tornado.

The attack is still mobile, but this way is much more controllable than what is normally expected of the usually indiscriminant attack.

This is an extremely rare & difficult technique to master as it requires fighting & killing 20 Darknuts & obtaining their Knight's Crests. In Gerudàn, it's called Dāgàl'zôba Ūsub (Great Sand Tornado Technique).

—

As for the wedding, if you think that grandma wasn't invited to the wedding, then you are sadly mistaken. (Nemma's father & mother definitely weren't. Even though she has insecurities revolving around them, she's long since stopped agonizing over them or trying to gain their favor. Seeing them as not worth the effort.)

The first time she visited, no one knows how, but that little old lady managed to put the fear of the Goddesses into Ganondorf without even making a single open threat. All done with a passive aggressive, yet sharp, clipped tone & subtle, but targeted insinuations as to what would happen to him & his family jewels if he ever broke her grandbaby's heart. After all, where did he think Nemma learned about toxins?

(She also sees the green tint to his complexion & knows what it indicates for a Gerudo. The young may have forgotten, but stories of such practices still persist in the form of grim ghost stories.)

(She knows that the man & those 2 horrid crones all 3 practice the dark arts. She doesn't know whether or not they do so now, but she knows they at least did at one point in their lives. Black magic just leaves a sort of stain on the body, as if to warn those around them. Much like how poisonous frogs come in vivid colors to show that they are dangerous. Of course, it manifests differently within Hyruleans. Causing them to go a deathly pale. Much like corpses. Which causes her to wonder, albiet briefly, if Gerudo turn green in death rather than white? If so, she wonders what causes it.)

(And while she's never fought Gerudo witches or warlocks, she's had to kill numerous Hyrulean ones.)

(Ayamay never thought that her grandbaby would ever meet one after the purges so long ago, but here they were. It's a good thing that she'd had that seal applied to the dear at a young age just in case. If nothing else, it'd keep all but the darkest & most powerful of black magics from taking hold. Which she may need if she's to live with a pair of witches who obviously despise her.)

(Looks like she was moving to the desert.)

After she left the room, Ganondorf glanced subtly at the cup in his hand before dumping its contents into a nearby plant pot. Until he's granted the old woman's favor, he's hyper aware of food & drink. What he doesn't know is that she'd never dream of poisoning anything her grandbaby made. The last time she did that, Nemma had been so upset! (Not that the young man needed to know that. A bit of squirming might do him some good. She could tell that he was pretty big in his britches.)

Best part is, Ganondorf couldn't even confront her on it without looking like a paranoid idiot because, as I said, she was very subtle.

Even though Nana's a homemaker, she was actually a Sheikah warrior herself when she was in her prime. And quite the formidable one at that. (She's also the one who taught Nemma how to use a Jōhyō as it'd been her main weapon of choice. Though, the Jōhyō Han Kote that the younger generation (including Nemma) prefers was never something she could figure out for whatever reason.)

(Never could figure out where her idiot son had gotten such dumbass ideas into his head either, but Sacred Realm knows he regretted it when she got her hands on the boy! Also, she may or may not have hunted down her daughter-in-law like a dog & threatened her to either go back & be an actual mother or to start running far, far away & praying to Hylia that Ayamay never sees her near her grandbaby again, because if she did, there wouldn't be enough left of the woman to fill a knife box!)

Anyway, later Ayamay ushered Ganondorf to the side & informed him of the Hōchō-Kaku (knife block) he was expected to gift her grandbaby. To which, he was surprised, but hearing of the tradition, he asked how one was expected to obtain such an object. She then began to teach him how to whittle, which was a task in & of itself. While he could've simply had one commissioned from a Kakariko woodworker, he appeared determined to do this himself. He knew that, as a craftswoman, Nemma would appreciate the effort that would go into the creation of such a traditional item.

That was when the old woman first decided that she liked this boy. She was fairly competent at woodworking herself, though not professional. Ayamay recommended that he make it a Mamena-Kaku (knife block for a professional chef) & line the compartments with whetstone. Either way, the next time she visited, she brought the schematics for a Mamena-Kaku with her & Gdorf spent the next several months until the wedding learning how to work with wood & build this knife block.

In the end, it was pretty damn decent & the outside seemed to be somewhat decorative featuring a melding of Gerudo & Sheikah designs, though he never wanted to do that again. Luckily, there weren't any other such marriage traditions for the Sheikah.

The little old lady had since moved out of Kakariko to live with them. Which honestly shocked Ganondorf, as he figured the aged woman would quickly die of heatstroke, but Ayamay's a tough old biddy. Besides, it wasn't like she had anything left for her in Kakariko besides her good-for-nothing son & her husband's grave, which she could still visit 2 times a year. Once on the anniversary of her husband's death & once in fall for the Sheikioku Festival. (A Sheikah festival that's a mix of a Tsukimi Festival, Obon, & Dia de los Muertos. It's a week of basking in the beauty of the night & celebrating life so that the spirits of their ancestors do not worry for them & linger longer than they need to, but the final night, always on the last lunar bookend phase of the season, whether the full moon or the lunar eclipse, is dedicated to visiting the graveyard, paying respects to one's ancestors, & leaving them offerings of foods & drinks that they'd enjoyed in life.)

Funnily enough, Ayamay ends up becoming bitter enemies of Ganondorf's adoptive mothers. Outwardly, they're the sort that results in cutting remarks & snippy, backhanded comments. Like actual old ladies.

(But behind closed doors, the 2 witches plot ways to kill both Sheikah women with Ayamay foiling their every course of action via old witch-hunting tricks.)

They despise each other.

And in many ways, Ganondorf eventually finds a real mother figure in her. (Once she realizes that he's every bit as much of a victim of Kōme & Kotake's crimes as anyone, that is. Doesn't stop him from being Ganondorf & making rotten decisions, but Ayamay hopes that by providing him with what he'd needed growing up, a loving mother, she might be able to gray him more. She always was the more conniving one in their little family.) One who's only expectation of him is to treat her granddaughter well. Which... is oddly comforting... & in a lot of ways, he has difficulty figuring out what to do with that. (Not that he shows it ever. He just isn't a very well-adjusted individual & was sorely lacking in a father figure growing up, which doesn't show itself often, but when it does, the sheer absence of positive male role models in his life will become extremely apparent. It must've been remarkably isolating & very confusing to grow up as a boy in an all-female society.)

---

As for Ganondorf's wedding attire, go here for a rundown.

And to learn about Gerudo wedding traditions, go here.

---

The Desert Gerudo tend to tell stories through dance & it is tradition for a married couple to give a brief dance performance detailing their journey to marriage during the festivities after the actual wedding.

Due to the unusual way that Ganondorf & Nemma got together, they opt for a just as unusual wedding dance by choosing to start off with a Sàl'dïnatàrr Zaydahànt (a performative scimitar dance duel) which is normally reserved for portraying epic battles.

They managed to portray both fierceness, curiosity, romance, & eventual lust with appropriate nuance & even subtlety in the case of that last part.

Then, they'd sheath their swords to begin a normal Zayda (sort of a pas de duex). They showed themselves seeming to tiptoe around each other while also testing the waters. Not necessarily stumbling, but (purposefully) catching each other by "awkwardly" stepping on each other's feet or "accidentally" kicking the other in the legs. All while still managing to appear graceful.

But they quickly settle into easy fluidity before performing more complex & romantic steps that require more cooperation & synergy. And they even find themselves getting caught up in each other.

It's a delight to behold.

---

One other thing of note was that the Sheikah use dye to imprint the wife's first steps into her new home after marriage. Which she did.

---

Anyway, Nemma's wedding gift to Ganondorf was a custom 2-handed sword, designed for his specific size, that she made herself using the same techniques that she'd used to make her own as well as the ones that she'd learned while in the desert.

Though, instead of Zoridium-Dawasaaq steel like what she used to replace the blade of the Namikaze no Odori, she used pure Dawasaaq Steel from the Gerudo Highlands as the steel from the desert doesn't seem to be nearly as pure as that from the Highlands. Again, Dawasaaq steel is the best for blade creation. Though, for some reason, it's only the iron & titanium deposits that have this problem. Everything else mined in the desert, especially the jeweler's metals, are very high quality. Gold, silver, platinum, & even copper are all extremely pure.

Anyway, then she melted a Golden Lynel Saber Horn (she'd managed to take one out by this point & decided to show her gratitude for training with her by giving him the first one she obtained) as well as a Flame Gleeok Horn into the metal, then folded liquified Ruby into the blade just like she did with the Emeralds to make her own blade's ripples. The blade itself was thinner, wider, & more curved than a traditional katana with a darker color & the crossguard was based on a shim'tàrr'jï (scimitar's) design & made of a titanium-gold alloy with the Gerudo writing for Hellfire, "Fa'gáron," decorating the blade's edge & had polished Onyx or Black Pearl for the pommel. There was also the image of either Volvagia, Dinraal, or Dragondorf (I can't decide which) etched into the side of the blade along the false edge, stretching from hilt to point with the tail pointed towards the hilt. The image will start small at the hilt & slowly get bigger at the point, its mouth opened wide to show off its teeth. Finally, the grip was of katana design, if curved like a shim'tàrr'jï, & wrapped with Shadow Lizalfos leather. (Think of a mix of a Scimitar & a Dadao. And Shadow Lizalfos are just something I made up. They're basically just Lizalfos with a darkness element.)

This is how it looks, just minus the dragon etching:

It has 176 base damage & with a one-word command, the edge of the blade would be lit ablaze with shadowy flames.

It was based on the blueprints of a traditional Gerudo weapon that she'd found in the massive ruin of what was, unknown to her, the ancient Temple of Spirit, dedicated to the worship of the Goddess of the Sand, while exploring the desert. The closest that she'd seen to it were their shim'tàrren (scimitars), but this would be too large to hold with only 1 hand the way that shim'tàrren were, even for a large man like Ganondorf, but not so large that he couldn't wield it with 2. So, it was likely meant for 2-handed combat much like the katana & Golden Claymore were. Yet entirely different & made for more fluid movements than a Golden Claymore would allow. True, she'd made a couple of personal additions, but that was more to improve the sword's overall capabilities. Over 90% of the blade's design remained faithful to the image she saw.

It was really a work of genius. She wondered who originally came up with the design.

She'd only just begun learning Gerudo, but she'd at least memorized their codex. The sword was called a "shim'shïr." (The name being based on a Shamshir, but the form being more in line with, as mentioned above, a Scimitar & a Dadao.) Nemma thinks that this could be an ancient, lost Gerudo weapon from long before the arrival of the Zonai.

Back to Gdorf, they both revealed their gifts, Nemma's the sword & Ganondorf's the Mamena Hōchō-Kaku. Upon initially receiving the sword, he'd been... stunned... While receiving gifts was no unusual thing for him as a king. Those tended to be with the intent of receiving his favor or showcasing their own gift-giving prowess.

It was the genuineness & obvious hard work & dedication behind the gift that gave him pause. The painstaking quality of the work itself was simply exquisite & he knew that such a work of art comes from a place of deep passion & love for what one does. Such dedication makes their work positively sing.

Yet, instead of presenting it to him in front of his court, which would have surely gained her accolades, she simply gave it to him in their chambers alone & had seemed rather flustered, even nervous which despite the short time they've known each other, he already knew was unusual for her. Though, she held it together well & remained mostly stoic, she couldn't hide it from his keen eyes trained to find & exploit weaknesses. The barest dusting of rose had bloomed delicately upon her tanned cheeks. Which he was forced to admit, was a very attractive color on her.

The blade, her work, meant a lot to her & in a way, she was giving him power over her simply by showing him that his opinion mattered to her. (Whether she's in love by this point or not is up to the writer, but she definitely at least has a major crush.)

Quite simply, she is obviously hoping that this marriage could eventually come to be built on something he wasn't yet sure he was capable of giving her.

And, for the first time in his life, he did not wish to exploit the power he'd just been given so freely & readily, as his instincts willed him to. He... He respected her... And when was the last time he could say something like that?

"I respect you too & thank you. Sheikah iconography, but in a Gerudo style. They seem to synergize oddly well. And the whetstone interior was a clever touch."

Snapping back out of his daze, their eyes met, contact made. He must've said that out loud. Then what she said registered & Ganondorf suddenly felt bashful watching her fondly trace the etchings he'd carved into the knife block's surface with so much care.

He hadn't felt so awkward since... well, puberty. How could he handle such genuine honesty?

Nàkah (fuck), his face was heating up... Gdorf quickly turned away to hide the evidence of his emotions. He was glad that she liked his gift though...

Upon inspection, the blade channeled his magic wonderfully & was much more fluid in its use than the Golden Claymore. Not to mention, much deadlier. While his main weapon was a Katana, this sword was…

The blade quickly became his favored weapon. He named it Fa'gáron'jï Bojaqàr'è. Or Hellfire's Shadow.

---

That night, Ganondorf & Nemma were to bathe together in order to get used to each other's body. It wasn't uncommon in Gerudo society for new couples to experience their first times together while bathing.

However, this particular pair managed to hold off until they were clean & got to bed.

That night was full of tender passion. While this would be their first time fully committing the act together, they've made out & engaged in heavy petting before.

And have certainly caused each other to discharge, but this would be different.

*Risqué Content Warning*

It took some serious stretching, but she took him wonderfully. And they ended up both seeing stars despite Ganondorf being far more experienced.

Honestly, he really shouldn't have fit at all, yet somehow he had. Ganondorf suspects that his little bride might have a hidden talent for sex magic, which is an extremely rare magic to begin with. Otherwise, he would've likely only fit about half to 2/3 of the way.

At some point, he finds himself caging her in, her nails & heels digging into his back in a way that heated his blood. She wailed as her core fluttered around him, her hips arching up to meet his own.

Before it finally came to a shuddering, climactic end, hips stuttering as he bit deep into her shoulder to keep himself from screaming too loudly.

*End of Risqué Content*

It left them both panting & sweaty as their highs deescalated.

Of course, that would only be the first of many rounds that night.

---

This isn't to say that their sex will always be this tender & sweet. Both can be very rough & sometimes crave more force.

Sometimes, they can get downright wild.

Nemma especially knows when she's in for a wild night when Gdorf looks at her like a predator stalking its prey.

The sharpness in his eyes, like he's going to eat her, always gets her going.

And, for whatever reason, Nemma loves being chased by him. Sometimes, she'll see that look in his eye & playfully run off, out of the encampment, beckoning him to pursue. She could easily lose him (though, not for long), but most times, she just wants a bit of cat & mouse before the main event.

Most times, she'll let him catch her.

But when she's really looking for some fun, she'll put him through his paces & make him actually track her down. May even have him fight her & wrestle her to the ground. Oftentimes, during those fights, she'll take moments to cop a feel & get him even more riled up.

Those times always end with the most hedonistic sex that has them filling the desert with sound until sunup.

---

Once she's managed to gain enough experience, Nemma will eventually be able to find ways to legitimately dominate Ganondorf both subtly & overtly. Especially with all the advice given to her by Tïsàla & Nīra.

Not that this is the sort of thing that would happen often. But even Ganondorf could admit that the wanton pleasure & the sight of his bride so dominant over him, was worth letting go of a little power for just a bit.

At first, he was surprised, then uncomfortable. Not that he was ever unaware of the sorts of things that his subjects got up to with foreign men when outside the Gerudo Encampment (as the only one of the Gerudo with a permanent home was Ganondorf, while the rest had tents).

He was also aware of Tïsàla's... reputation as a born vàsitulïxàmba (a vai who is a dominatrix, but it isn't her job & she does it for fun & always with consent). Before vo'màzren & their vàsitulïxan were disbanded, he had been contemplating forcing her into the position of paid vàsitulïxa as she'd always rejected the offer when asked.

Now, though, it seemed that her talents had landed herself a voe who, while traditionally masculine by Hyrulean standards, was a switch & didn't seem to mind the rough play or the use of stolkén. (Don't ask.)

The very idea that Nemma could... use that... on him? He... he'd never really thought about it before...

He... wasn't sure? Just the thought of it seemed to heat his blood, but he couldn't help the shame that painted his face red at the idea of letting anyone have so much control over him.

It makes him feel hot in the "this is so wrong, but so effing hot & I kinda wanna try it once" kind of way.

---

Also, brushing each other's hair & bathing together are very relaxing & intimate bonding experiences for them. It is a Gerudo tradition for married couples to bathe together & wash each other.

Funny enough, they both secretly adore & admire each other's hair for different reasons, wishing that their own was like their spouse's. Ganondorf often compares Nemma's to spun silk that he could spend hours running his fingers through despite the split ends that he regularly finds at the beginning of their marriage. Meanwhile, Nemma admires how easy Gdorf's is to work with, not to mention how much volume & body it has, while also managing to be thick & strong much like the mane of a horse. (Though, Gerudo hair oils seem to be doing wonders for her own & living in one spot allows her to take better care of her hair. So, no more split ends!) She loves gently pulling all his hair into a long, thick braid before bed.

As for Ganondorf, he absolutely frickin' loves the feel of his wife's hands in his hair. Her fingers gently scratching his scalp does wonders for his stress levels & once he's grown to completely trust her, then if he's not careful, he's liable to fall asleep in her arms, an oddly content little smile across his lips as he snoozes.

I also hc that the Sheikah have a war strategy game that's basically Pai Sho from Avatar & that it's one way that they end up bonding.

---

Anyway, as they grow closer, it'll come to Ganondorf's attention that Nemma actually has a knack for ruling & he finds himself able to delegate some of his duties to her without worry, which takes a great deal of weight off of his shoulders that he hadn't realized was there before. Though, she's admittedly much more merciful than him. While both rule with iron fists, hers is sheathed in a silk glove. This results in the Gerudo quite liking her.

They begin to refer to her as their Vàmàh Vai'àtta, or Moon Queen. Some even speculate that she may be the vessel of Amàhrta, the Gerudo Goddess of the Moon, Mirrors, Dreams, Visions, & Prophecy. (It's bs, but there are certainly quite a lot of coincidences that end up perpetuating the rumor even though it's false. As a result, her subjects have gifted her with silver & moonstone jewelry & moonlight scimitars of varying qualities.)

---

I also think that they'd love sparing fairly frequently. Literally the highlight of their week. Though, it's sort of like foreplay to them & tends to end rather... carnally...

The first time Nemma had him on his back, the sharpened edge of her Sheikatō pressed to his throat, he shivered. Her steely, indigo stare shifted for but a moment in disbelief before shifting back to that battle-hardened glare.

Ganondorf's heart suddenly skipped a beat. What was this feeling?

Of finally finding an equal?

On the one hand, he was angry at having been bested, even by his own wife. On the other, he'd never been harder in his entire life. It was like finally meeting someone who was truly on his level. He had... never felt more seen before...

What was this thrill of meeting one who could catch him so off guard, yet does not see him as less?

This humbled awe? Is this what Nemma had felt when he first bested her?

If so, then he could see now why she had so readily agreed to marry him.

Finding someone that he could fight at his best & would give the same in return.

Who saw both his virtues & his flaws, yet did not turn away in disgust or fear or hatred.

It was… intoxicating…

Ganondorf decided then, that this woman was worthy of his weak moments. Worthy of not seeing him always at his best.

He wanted her. Hotly & covetously.

Then, the white-haired yailàra (warrior woman by trade or occupation), with an upward twitch of her lips, leaned down & Ganondorf knew that she was claiming her prize. He gave a shuddering breath just before their lips met in a searing kiss.

*Risqué Content Warning*

Her hips ground against the bulge in his sirwàl. Oscillating their cores against each other until they pulled apart for breath, causing a pleading whine to fall from his kiss-bruised lips, surprising himself. Then a hot breath brushed over them.

N: “Pull it out.”

The desert king hesitated, stunned, as she’d never ordered him to do anything before. His pride roared at him to refuse… But… He could also see that her restraint was fraying. Her indigo eyes were burning down upon him hungrily. Need shone in them.

If he refused… there was no telling what she would do…

The regal authority she put behind her words… Nakah, if it was his Queen…

Ganondorf’s face was staining red & his large mit of a hand reached down past the hem of his sirwàl, hissing as he gripped his stiff length before withdrawing it from its hiding spot.

N: “Stoke it.”

Swallowing the saliva that had been gathering in his mouth, Ganondorf gripped the back with one hand & began to give his masculine rod a slow, agonizing rub.

Even as she rode him, hard & fast, her blade remained pointed at his throat. Ganondorf couldn't help the thrill he got at being forced to remain still & just take what she gave him.

Of course, it'd taken damn near everything in her to pin him down even once in a straight one-on-one fight & that was mostly due to catching him off guard. She won't get many more chances like this, so she endeavors to relish it while she could. She made sure to milk him dry. Thoroughly.

*End of Risqué Content*

They both knew that he could break away or escape at any moment, but he obviously didn't want to.

—

After a long day of work, Nemma likes to lay on Ganondorf's chest & relax. He'll often have his arms wrapped loosely around her & hum quietly as he runs his fingers over her back.

She'll frequently respond in kind & proceed to snuggle into him. Sometimes they'll even take short naps like that.

---

At some point, in order to show that she's trying to be better about trusting others & working with them, Nemma will make a pair of Gossip Stone Earrings, giving Ganondorf 1 while she keeps the other. This is her way of trusting him. So that if she ever runs off like that again, he'll always be able to reach her.

Here they are.

Yes, he can absolutely see a tactical advantage to making a large number of these earrings & giving them to his soldiers, but at the same time, he is a selfish man & this was his wife's attempt at making things right between them. He wanted to keep this special.

They never take their respective earring off. Ever. Period.

It's just... such a comfort to have their spouse's heartbeat in their ear at all times.

---

Nemma knows what her husband wants to do, knows he wants to conquer Hyrule, but before that, she brought up the idea of using Hyrule's resources to put his tribe in a better place beforehand.

This seems to make Gdorf smile slyly & complement her on her deviousness.

From this moment until the time that Ganondorf chooses to steal the Secret Stone, they will be utilizing Hyrule to build the foundations for what will become Gerudo Town later on.

By the time that he kills Sonia, the palace (with 2 thrones specifically), outer walls, aqueducts, sewers, training ground, the shelter, & a forge will be finished. However, the rest of the town, such as homes & businesses will not be built until much later. As a result, the rest of the Gerudo tend to sleep in the shelter at night & use the empty space in the walls for important work tents such as the food tent, weaving tent, medical tent, etcetera.

This way, the Gerudo have a permanent place to take shelter.

Beforehand, the Gerudo would use a canopy tent to forge their weapons, jewelry, & armor & despite their skill at making weapons, this made forging reliant on the weather. At least, even more so than normal.

As soon as the forge was finished, Nemma began to work. One of many things that she made was a Gyuto-Bōchō for Nīra & the other cooks each, having been teaching them the basics of Santoku. They were all absolutely thrilled as they'd all heard of the incredible versatility & usefulness of such Sheikah kitchen knives.

You haven't lived till you've seen a small group of 7-8 foot tall women hopping up & down & shouting with joy like a bunch of teenage girls. It's fucking adorable!

Also, Ayamay had begun to help out in the cooking tent too. (After retiring from being a warrior, she'd opened up a small restaurant that served homecooked meals.)

---

At some point after their wedding, they return to Castle Town more for the sake of diplomacy than an actual desire to, as Nemma is the Gerudo Queen now & there's something of a celebration being held in honor of their union. All the major powers in the Great Hyrule Alliance were going to be there; the Zora Royal Family, the Rito Elder & his family, the Sheikah Cheiftain & his family, & the Head Foreman of Gorondia & his sons. As well as several other important families.

(It was absolutely Rauru trying to draw them out so that he could get Nemma alone to try & convince her to side with Hyrule & while neither Nemma nor Ganondorf knew this, they both sort of looked at each other skeptically.)

They'd arrive there the night before, would stay in the Palace (on the Great Plateau as the Castle & Castle Town we know of didn't exist then), relax & enjoy the sights the next day, & that evening, the celebration would begin.

Anyway, at some point during that celebration, some rich asshole makes a snide remark about Nemma being so thoroughly armed & it being unseemly of a queen.

To which Ganondorf would basically tell the bastard to 'square up, bitch.' Using his full height to loom over his target & assert dominance.

He'd assert that she is more than just his queen, she is also a warrior & will not be disrespected in his presence!

Meanwhile, Nemma is used to such comments about her lifestyle & would normally prefer to defend herself, but... she admits that it feels nice to have her honor defended & to be treated as the warrior she was & always strived to be. Also, that height & the aura of pure dominance he exuded then? Meow! XD

Later, Nemma would be herded to an isolated area (which she'd recognize immediately & she'd certainly lead the guards on a merry chase; not by causing an altercation, but more so by managing to blend in with the crowd simply by changing her posture & aura, which would result in Rauru having to use his own Sheikah guards, including her father, to do so; not that Rauru knows of their relation at this time). Where Rauru would try to convince Nemma to help him convince her husband not to make any rash decisions. Nemma would quickly realize what he was actually asking her due to a mixture of her own intelligence & her skills in Yomijutsu, & being the blunt & straightforward individual that she was, she'd just state as such outright.

"You want me to choose Hyrule over my husband should things go sour between our kingdoms."

Rauru would sputter & try to reiterate it more delicately, but Nemma would have none of it.

She sees past the bs & she'd tell him that if he wanted her to even consider anything he has to say, then he'll be candid & quit pussyfooting around the topic.

Regardless, she'd say that she wouldn't encourage her husband to attack them, but she wouldn't be Rauru's yesman either. In the end, Rauru's attempt to have her side with Hyrule would inevitably fail. In fact, I feel as though Nemma would be insulted at the idea that she'd ever consider betraying her husband.

Either way, she'd return to her husband's side with a lesser view of Rauru & proceed to inform Ganondorf of everything that'd happened & what the King of Hyrule had asked of her.

Which would cause the man's yandere tendencies to flare & his plan to kill Sonia to solidify.

If Rauru hadn't done this, Ganondorf would've elected to simply steal the Secret Stone from Sonia as Nemma & Ayamay had softened him to such a degree, but this would spark possessiveness & paranoia in the Gerudo. Even though he knows, logically, that it's not likely & he trusts Nemma implicitly at this point (especially after having told him everything so directly & without pretense, which he's always appreciated about her), he can't help the little voice in the back of his head telling him that Rauru wanted to steal away his beloved wife for himself.

And while having a second spouse was not necessarily unheard of in Gerudo society (though never a third), it wasn't encouraged & infidelity was treated as a heinous taboo worthy of stoning.

—

However, despite this, I don't think that Rauru would attempt to actually kidnap Nemma until after Ganondorf had killed Sonia & stolen the Secret Stone & it would partly be done in retribution.

---

Before leaving to take the Secret Stone, Ganondorf had removed the precious brow ornament that his beloved wife had crafted him with such care, which he taken to calling a Nīkôz Khepnīsut (literally, "victory brow ornament”), & wrapped it up before placing it in his Himyāgiht (a sort of ornate storage chest for keeping jewelry) along with any other jewelry that his beloved wife had crafted for him. He did not want to risk any one of them being damaged if the Stone chose one of the places that they were located & end up damaging what was already there. As much as he wanted to be proudly adorned in her work, logically, he didn't want to damage them.

When the new Sûltyattàr (“demon” king) returned home, he was a true horror to all beheld him.

Then, upon seeing his beloved, supportive, loyal wife who had run up to him, he was filled with immense desire & a carnal, primal sort of lust for her… just presence. Not even sex, just her, & he went to caress her cheek lovingly as she reached up to stroke his own in slight confusion & concern…

Nemma was very worried by his state, but was not afraid of him. Rather, she was afraid for him. But, the moment their skin made contact, her hand grazing his cheek, she jolted, then gasped in pain & sunk slowly to the floor. At the sudden sound of fear & pain, Ganondorf suddenly snapped out of his sadistic trance.

Before, he'd been in a sort of battle high, fueled by bloodlust that had taken hold of his mind similar to a pair of spindly hands curling their grasping, greedy fingers around his brain, marveling at the power he could feel flowing through him. He felt like he could do anything, be anything! D-e-s-t-r-o-y a-n-y-t-h-i-n-g!

It was, in a word, intoxicating!

But hearing his wife scream, her hands burned at the mere touch of him, he was suddenly very aware of each & every drop of concentrated rancor that dripped from his skin as though blood from a fatal wound. The black in his sclera seemed to retreat like shadows into gray & his expression dropped in grim realization.

For a very short, stunned moment, all he could do was watch & listen to her in shock & horror as she gasped & held her hand in pain as Miasma crept over her skin. But it was her pained whimpers that caused him to finally take action. As she never whimpered when she was in pain. Hiss, maybe. Groan, absolutely. But never whimper.

So, whatever she was feeling, it must’ve been E-x-c-r-u-c-i-a-t-i-n-g…

Ganondorf’s first instinct was to hold her & examine her injury, but remembering what'd just taken place, he folded his arms over his chest tightly to keep from touching her & frantically ordered his guards to alert the Vai'eshônīen (priestesses, who are typically the ones with medical knowledge), who would see to her injuries.

(Several of them noticed how the mark of a shell began to glow faintly upon her brow, though only briefly, the light seeming to beat back Ganondorf's Miasma. However, they were far too harried to make comment & they quickly forgot about it in the rush of healing their fellow Gerudo in the war that followed. Ganondorf himself was also much too worried & panicked for it to really register.)

The impotent need to touch her, to comfort her in her agon, was a living entity inside his chest. Yet so too was his fear of further harming his wife.

He ended up buzzing around her much like a worried bee & made quite the nuisance of himself in the medical tent. His presence, normally imposing & formidable, now tremulous with dread for his bride's imminent fate.

A blizzard raged within his mind, born of a terror for Nemma’s life so deep it chilled his very bones. It warred with a bitter self-loathing at his own loss of control so hot it burned his blood. The two dual forces, combining to create a tempestuous storm of anxiety. And like a bird frantically struggling to survive the chaos of his own turbulent thoughts was a tiny, desperately fluttering hope that the priestesses would succeed.

It rent his heart asunder to see such a strong, resilient woman brought so low… by his simple touch…

His desperate orders were pleading even to his own ears. Unable to do anything else of use, he began to pace, almost stalking like a Sand Leopard, eyes constantly darting towards his quietly weeping wife. Every sob like a chip off of his stone heart, threatening to crack it in half.

Nothing his staff did seemed to fix it or even slow it down & he could only watch, trembling, in terror as the Miasma from his own body seemed to slowly creep over more of her skin as she quietly sobbed, body trembling & twitching in agony, interjected by spasmodic jolts. He seemed to fall into a panic. His mind repeating the words ‘you did this!’ To such an extent that that small, dark spot inside his mind was muffled.

Eventually, to Ganondorf's mounting thanatophobia (crippling fear of either dying or losing someone you love), she began to grow quiet even as she continued to shiver & jolt with every surge of pain. Thus causing his panic to peak as he became quietly, horrifically certain that she. Was. DYING & he. Could. Do. NOTHING.

The shattering man lifted his hand, shakily, covering his mouth as he lost balance, leaning back against the side of the stone spire behind him to catch himself. Then, slowly slid down to the floor as his eyes welled up.

He was losing her… So much power. Yet useless. Utterly worthless.

Then, Ayamay rushed in, got a good look at the injury (mentally noting the glowing mark, but putting away for later), & something seemed to click inside her head. She then ran back out & a few minutes later returned with a very familiar, golden flower. (Ayamay silently contemplated how the light kept Gimagomusuke's (Grandson-in-law) dark power at bay & shivered with dread as it hit her that without that light, Nemma might've died before she could retrieve the Sundelion. The old Kageheijo (Shadow Warrior Woman) sent up a quiet prayer of thanks to Kariaina-no-Mikoto for protecting her Aimagojō (beloved/favored granddaughter) as she recognized the mark as being that of the goddess of love's in origin.)

He watched the Vàba begin to bark orders at his Vai’eshônīen, but they hesitated & turned to him in askance. Anger filled him as he falteringly ordered them to do as instructed with all haste. To which, they thankfully did. As he watched them rush around, his grandmother-in-law sounded off orders like a general in battle, sending 2 to go search for more Sundelions, he…

He had…

He’d never felt so… utterly useless before…

Then, hearing another gasp from his poor, wonderful Vay (wife), he looked at her & his heart nearly stopped at the sight of her purpurascent eyes on him, tears streaming down her face.

He saw fear, he saw un-fathomable pain, but… he also saw concern. He saw her hand trembling as she tried to raise it in his direction.

And his heart broke. ‘Even now…’

And, he knows not where the energy came from, but he suddenly became active. He hoisted himself upon his feet & was beside Ayamay in less than a second. “I-I will assist her. Tell me what I need to do.” Though he was silently breaking inside, he somehow managed to sound firm in spite of the falter in his words.

Without a second of thought, she turned to him & looked him dead in the eye as she continued to crush the Sundelion in the mortar, a pestle in her hand. “You need to go over there & talk to her. Keep her attention. Keep her mind active. Keep her lucid & focused on you rather than the pain. Now.”

With a breath, he was at his wife's side & speaking to her lowly, tenderly. Speaking of… anything & everything he could think of. From the weather in Hyrule, to the color of the sky outside, to recent gossip among his guards. Her glistening orbs focused in on him & he knew her to be listening despite the pain.

It was only a minute or two, Nanema's gaze beginning to lose focus & her utterances becoming quieter, that Ayame came & began to pour the Sundelion paste down her granddaughter's throat.

….

…

And the Shōki began to recede…

And recede until it disappeared entirely. Then to his horror, Nemma’s breath came out in a whisper as her eyes shut slowly, her body going limp with exhaustion, causing the king’s heart to stop for a deafening moment & his world to close in on him.

He could only watch silently, trembling, as his grandmother-in-law leaned in to examine her granddaughter with an outwardly stoic expression, but a fearful light in her eyes. Her hand outstretching to press her fingers against her throat…

And exhaled, her face the picture of tired relief.

With a shaking gale-like breath, the giant of a man slouched forward, still shivering. Heart racing like a seal across the dunes & breath rapid in his lungs.

It didn't escape Ganondorf's notice, the irony that what had harmed his beloved wife had been the very power he had sought so ardently & the only cure ending up being something so heavily associated with the very queen that he had just killed in order to obtain it. Perhaps this was karma?

Even as he watched the Miasma recede, he trembled like a newborn Gàl'gàtïyin (Sand Kitten) still finding its bearings.

Regardless, the gratitude he felt towards the elderly Sheikah was immeasurable. Her expedient resourcefulness under pressure in the face of losing her only granddaughter was awe-inspiring. And his expression clearly conveyed this, it seemed, as the now ever-so-slightly shaking woman took deep, calming breaths as the tension in her body slowly leaked out of her as she timidly left her emergency maneuvers headspace. He could see a dim, worldweary, haunted relief reflected in her eyes.

For once, Ayamay-jyé (an honorific for an elder; wise) actually looked her age.

—

Despite his wariness, the king did not move from his wife’s mat & he did not plan to until he knew without a singular doubt that she was alright. It wasn’t until later when the moon had risen to its apex, that the Sheikah woman finally awoke with a pained mumble, eyes fluttering open with a hum, causing Ganondorf to nearly weep his relief.

His emotions overwhelm him for just a moment, so in an attempt to not put anything more on her, he turned away to allow only a small handful of tears to escape. He let out a heavy, shuttering breath, hand going up to cover his eyes as they ran down his cheeks before wiping the moisture from his orbs. It would be the only moment that he’d take for himself until he left her presence to attend to his own needs as he knew without a shadow of a doubt that his queen would order him to do so. Once he’d recollected himself, he turned back &, despite his valiant stoicism, his voice remained heavy & thick with emotion.

Ganondorf & Nemma talked about what to do moving forward in their quarters. Though his voice was typically authoritative & strong, it now crept meekly from between his lips, heavy with concern. As though afraid to break her.

Nemma isn't a traditionally good person, being more morally gray than anything, & has taken more than her fair share of lives, but she's also a logical & reasonable individual. And she didn't support her husband's actions. If anything, she very much advised him against it.

She warned him that there would be more consequences for his decision & that if he wasn't careful, the cost might end up being more than he was willing to give.

She never had any issues with Sonia, herself, & honestly mourned for her & Rauru's daughter who had been made motherless that night. But, at the end of the day, if he was absolutely sure that this was what he wanted, if Hyrule was what he wanted, & he chose to go through with his plans, then so long as he spared the children & allowed her to find homes for the ones orphaned, if there was no enslavement, & if he spared those who stayed out of his way, then she would support him.

She wouldn't fight with him at his side in this (as she suspected that she would require more time to recover, she still felt very weak from her vitality being eaten away at), but she would be there for him at the end of every fight if he'd allow it.

An intrusive thought broke into Ganondorf's mind to punish the woman for her insolence. Normally, he'd just bat it away like a pesky fly. But since he'd taken the Secret Stone, the thoughts became louder & darker, as well as more invasive. In the past, the invasive thoughts were never things that he'd ever consider doing, but were also not things he'd been totally against. At least, until tonight.

Now, they seemed to whisper wretched promises into his mind. The sort of things that made him recoil. Things to hurt his Nemma. To take advantage of her. To take her until she submitted to his will. It made him feel sick inside. Perhaps if this had been just after having met her, then he would've considered it, but now? Now, just the idea of doing something of that nature to his beloved wife made him wish to vacate the contents of his stomach.

And the fact that there was ever a time when he would've considered doing such to her? It shamed him deeply...

And, if Ganondorf were being reasonable, her demands were not just fair, they were beyond merciful. Especially considering what he'd just done to her. Albeit, inadvertently. Most would've taken the first chance they got to escape him afterwards, but she was still here & still loved him. Disappointed in him, but still loved him. Under very extremely reasonable conditions, but never-the-less.

Never in his nearly 4 decades of life, had he ever felt such an overwhelming gratitude. That she would still choose him after the torrent of unbelievable pain that she endured as a result of his decisions… It was… he was speechless… In spite of her own words declaring herself not a benevolent individual, all he saw was the high-quality of her character shining through to him… He could see her steadfast loyalty, her humble wisdom & equanimity, her long-suffering patience & near-infinite forgiveness, he saw her love & support. For just a moment, he saw something truly beatific inside her.

Well, he always saw that she was truly unique, but this was the first time that he truly got an inkling of real comprehension as to just how much of a once in a lifetime individual she was.

However, his gratitude also brought with it a poignant sense of remorse. And, for the first time ever, he felt an inkling of… inadequacy…

He realized that he didn't really think this through. Not how he should've. The ramifications of this coup were suddenly not looking quite so manageable…

Hesitantly, he spoke. "Chibàttanï, you're right. These demands are more than fair. I vow to honor them. I am responsible for what has taken place here. While I cannot reverse time, I will respect your conditions from this moment on. Eàla ràsnï (“On my head;” an assurance that he will move mountains to make her happy). Your fidelity, your steadfastness; they mean more to me than the stars in the sky. I vow to be more mindful of the consequences of my ambitions. For you, for us. Nïqàt'vinyasme ladhi so'ne zīaaq Yàsnonsorq'nï. (I only pray that you will one day forgive me.)” (Yàsnonsorq literally translates to “let hate die.”)

Nanema only smiled tiredly at him, “Sa, voy. Kàf shàkna sorq ladhi nà’sāqsúl? (Oh, husband. What can die that never lived?)”

In that instant, he was nearly overwhelmed with the need to hold his wife tight. And his arms rose on instinct before he flinched.

Ganondorf was quite touch starved & he relished in his wife's affection. He craved her touch like a suffocating man does air.

Now, after having her to satiate that previously unknown need, only to now be unable to indulge in it at any time he wished? Unable to feel her skin caress his or confirm that she was alright by examining her with his own hands, he was suddenly overcome by an unparalleled feeling of entrapment. Almost confined by the very prize he'd pursued. A prisoner within his own skin. A slave to power.

The Devïxïdad'zen (gem of sacred power; the name that the Gerudo gave the Secret Stones from afar as they observed the Zonai's interactions with Hyrule) that he had sought with such envy & desire, that had been intended to help him solidify his strength & assure his dominion over Hyrule… now felt like a cage separating him from his beloved wife & barring him from comforting her as his every fiber demanded.

It was remarkably uncomfortable. In a lot of ways, it turned the Secret Stone & the power it bequeathed into so much more of a double-edged sword, practically a Boar-King's Gambit (Faustian Bargain), than he thought they'd be. One that he'd, unknowingly, eventually have to decide whether or not it was worth it.

Ganondorf took a moment & thought... Then, with a nearly unbelievable amount of mental resistance, he removed the Secret Stone from his head. And, suddenly those dark whispers were dulled back to a quiet buzz & his mind was much clearer, though still slightly fogged.

Instantly, Ganondorf tentatively raised his hand, the appendage stopping for a moment as if unsure, his thumb rubbing over the pads of his pointer & middle finger worriedly. His intense need to hold her close dueled with the lingering terror of possibly harming as he had before, before his beautiful bride raised her own & laced their fingers together.

His heart fluttered, filling with a sharp, bone-deep feeling of lachrymose gratitude & he took a deep breath. His eyes tearing up a bit, but not falling, as he pulled her gently into his lap & embraced her, his face tucked into the crook of her neck as his body positively quaked with the veritable banquet of intense emotions.

Voice heavy with guilt & shame, Ganondorf apologized, initially stumbling over the words before finally getting them out. But once he did, he repeated them, over & over. As though a spring that had once been clogged, now unstuck & allowed to flow from his lips as from a fount. Only there with her now alive & not in pain in his arms did he allow himself to weep into her skin.

He relished how her fingers ran through his hair & over his back. How she shushed him, nuzzling his neck & shoulder. And though he was grateful for her comfort, he could feel how her body also shook against him. How her voice was also wet with emotion. How moisture fell upon his skin. It all caused his heart to break just that little bit more knowing that he had been the cause. But all he could do was hold her (suddenly, terribly terrifyingly) tiny form even tighter against him & mimic her movements in an attempt to give her the same comfort that she gave him.

Finally, once they managed to calm down, he mumbled wetly that he understood. That he wouldn't make her do anything & that having her with him was enough.

However, much like an addiction, Ganondorf would find himself looking back at his ill-gotten prize & find himself craving that feeling of raw power again.

He'd end up adorning the Secret Stone again the next day. And while he wore it, he'd keep his arms folded when near his wife. As it'd become a habit to rest his hand on either her hip, her shoulder, or lower back whenever they stood together & the last thing he'd allow was her to be harmed by his own hand again.

But that night, as he laid on a cot beside his wife's medical one, their fingers threaded together… Ganondorf couldn't help but wonder to himself… what exactly was it inside of him that was so virulent, so… calamitous… that it would cause this? Those stones were meant to enhance that which was already inside of their holder. And of the other 4 stone wielders, none seemed so maligned as he. None of them appeared unable to so much as touch others. None of them appeared to struggle with their mental acuity or judgment.

So, what was wrong with him? What was so utterly rotten inside his own soul that it would manifest itself in such a cancerous way? Why was his power so poisonous?

He did not know…

---

The next time Ganondorf saw Ayamay, she was giving him the side-eye & he knew that he was in trouble. He'd... never felt ashamed like this before... For the first time since he was a small voevï (boy), he couldn't meet someone's gaze.

She narrowed her eyes & seemed to come to a conclusion.

"Listen well, boy." He flinched. "If you never take any other advise from me, you better take this to heart. Power corrupts, but absolute power corrupts absolutely. You better figure out what it is you're willing to sacrifice for such lofty pursuits or you'll end up loosing something you weren't willing to give."

There was that phrase again. Something he wasn't willing to loose.

Beforehand, he'd have said that he wasn't willing to loose his power or his control... but was that really true anymore?

He didn't know...

---

Anyway, Gdorf would pillage & run roughshod through Hyrule on Jawàrik, who was transformed as he was, into a nightmarish unicorn that would skewer victims with his jagged horn. The haze of blood lust & power flooding his mind in a red cloud. Murdering those who got in his way, but never a child or those who avoided him. Oh, he'd come close, but he'd always manage to stop before that. And whenever he heard of one of his Lynel minions taking advantage of the enemy for unwanted carnal pursuits, he would have them killed. However, his vaien were allowed to take from any men they defeated in battle.

And upon returning to his room at night, he'd remove the stone to indulge in the tender affections he'd been deprived of throughout the day.

However, every time he did, he'd find it more & more difficult to take the stone off. Not physically, but mentally.

(Imagine it as if 2 diametrically opposed addictions were battling in his head. He can't indulge in both at the same time & he has to choose which one is more important to him at a given moment. Resulting in him creating a sort of loose schedule for when he can indulge in one or the other. It's difficult to keep to as he desires both, but he knows that Rauru will retaliate at some point & he refuses to not be prepared.)

Upon seeing his wife once more, thoughts had slowly begun invading his mind. Whispers of ravaging her body while still under the influence of the Secret Stone, specifically reveling in the pain it caused her. But he'd push them away furiously. The very idea of harming her in pursuit of his own personal pleasure while disregarding her own was disgusting & shameful to him. Though, they'd only come as brief flashes & half-formed thoughts normally.

Then, one night, Ganondorf had a depraved nightmare.

Of raping his wife. Of watching her be consumed by the Miasma that leaked like a bloody gash from his body. Of rutting her violently as she screamed in agony, her body being twisted by his dark power into a perfect little, obedient fuck toy. Over & over again until she begged him to stop, but he'd continue until she passed out.

Ganondorf bolted upright in bed. A cold sweat coating his skin in a fine sheen. He gasped for air, finding it difficult to breathe as he turned to look for his wife. She was sound asleep, but seemed to be stirring.

The Gerudo King covered his mouth to keep from waking her as he panicked silently only to discover that he was crying. He hadn't cried since he was a child.

Ganondorf didn't tell Nemma about his dream the next day or ever. He was terrified that she'd leave him. The dream disgusted him, absolutely repelled him, & he thought himself a demented beast for having it in the first place. He'd often been called a beast in battle, but never had he thought of it in such a way. He found that he no longer took pride in it.

For all his stature & power, he could be quite the coward when he was truly afraid. He'd known this since he was a boy. That'd been part of why he initially desired power so much. To exert control over his own life & rid himself of his fears. So why was it that even now that he had so much power at his fingertips & Hyrule's subjugation on the horizon, was he more afraid than ever?

---

Though, the stone didn't seem to only fill him with bloodlust & non-consensual thoughts of sex, thankfully, but also of the more consensual, yet rough nature.

As the Demon King, he lusted after his queen to an unusual degree, even for him. Just the thought of her would send his mind spiraling into thoughts of breeding her full of his heirs. The thought of children having only briefly crossed his mind before & had initially been brushed off as a "not yet" sort of thought as he never pegged Nemma as the sort to be interested in them. Until he learned that she would often teach the vaivïn (little girls) how to cook or about her village & its customs with the same patience as she would him. How gentle, yet firm when necessary she was with them.

After which, the idea would send his heart fluttering with want as he realized that maybe children were a much closer possibility than he previously thought. Though, obviously not until after this was all done with. Last thing he wanted was their prospective vehvïn (babies) in danger. Which was unusual, as Gdorf always previously desired a world where only the strong would survive & thrive, but with the possibility of children in his life, he suddenly felt overwhelmingly protective over someone who wasn't even yet a twinkle in his or his wife's eye.

Anyway, often at the end of battles, his bloodlust would be replaced with a carnality of equal severity. Which regularly lead to him sneaking off & masturbating to thoughts of his wife.

The invasive thoughts would at times be less repulsive, the scenes more consensual. Which, by Vah Gela, did he prefer that so much more.

He couldn't deny, though, if not for the harm that this form caused vayfu (his wife), he would've likely rutted her raw all that night to celebrate his success, glorify in his newfound power, as well as their next successful step towards ruling Hyrule as king & queen. He wasn't sure what had possessed him to begin speaking so lewdly through the earring as he pleasured himself the first time he did it, but it certainly seemed to catch Nemma's attention & often resulted in some... interesting conversations between them. These desires often persisted even long after removing the stone & resulted in some very long nights of repeatedly consummating their marriage in the eyes of Vah Kàvtrïna.

Truly, she must have blessed their union.

---

(Honestly, he'd never thought of heirs beforehand, having been taught how to use his black magic to basically live forever. However, the dark ritual that it involved had always left him feeling uncomfortable. He'd only ever performed a variation of it once as a young teen when sealing his pact with the dark entity that his mothers' worshiped. That poor kid... He still sees the boy's face in his nightmares. It was the most traumatizing thing that his mothers had ever had him do. Luckily, he'd only been required to kill the boy, but the things that his mothers did... They chilled him to the core... Things that they'd told him that if he wished to live forever, that he'd need to learn to be strong enough to do. The idea curdled his blood even then. But after knowing Nemma & Ayamay, he just didn't think he could do it. He had yet to tell either of the women of the memories & he was honestly terrified to, afraid that they'd be disgusted with him. He didn't know if he ever would tell them. He hates the idea of disappointing them.)

—

Anyway, I think that I'm going to make Nemma's capture a result of Kōme & Kotake's attempts to be rid of her as they don't appreciate how "soft" Ganondorf is becoming because of her. As in, they heard Rauru's attempt to persuade Nemma & then later informed him of her routines, which enables one of his Sheikah Warriors to kidnap her.

I think I'll make it Nemma's father, Masashai, who steals her away, just to really drum up the drama. He's one of Rauru's best & he even offered to do it himself as she was his spawn. Which, the use of such a word to describe one's own offspring had caused Rauru's eyes to narrow as he'd never speak of his own daughter, now 3 years old, thusly. But he was nothing if not strategic, so he'd let it slide for now.

(The toddler princess was hidden far away, outside of the Demon King's reach for now. Rauru was doing this for her.)

Masashai saw Nemma's dalliances with his king's enemy & his queen's killer to be deeply shaming & he wished to correct the girl's behavior.

At the same time, Rauru would recognize in Nemma the complete absence of a desire for power that wasn't something that she, herself, had earned, as well as the qualities of a true & wise ruler & a noble, honorable warrior. As such, he wouldn't kill her, instead choosing to seal her away.

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To Be Continued...

And that's where this part ends. I'll continue with the rest in Part 2 because this post has gotten so long that I can't even edit it on my phone anymore. XD

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LoZ My Fanfic Masterlist

#loz #legend of zelda #totk #tears of the kingdom #ganondorf #yandere ganondorf #fem oc #sheikah oc #ganondorf x fem!oc #long post #nsft

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