[FoH] Journal Entry #5- Gerudo's Grandeur (Jerial)

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{ Journal Entry #5 }
The Gerudo's Grandeur

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Author: Jerial
Time: Dawn
Location: The Healer's Arms' Inn

Who would take the throne?

It was a thought that had been flittering around in the confines of his mind for quite some time now. Surely everyone wished to seize the throne from the mad king, yet no one had ever bothered to discuss just who could possibly rule in his stead. The cranium of the former king sat lodged beside the so-called hero’s outside of the palace walls. Was everyone banking on the off chance that the princess had somehow survived this entire time whilst in captivity? He wasn’t assured of that. There had to be a backup plan.

It occurred to him then that one of their own could become the king-to-be. The thought only mildly frightened him. It would not be entirely impossible for one of the Resistance members, let alone their leader himself, to become the next leader of Hyrule. He was not entirely certain of who exactly ran the Resistance, having never come face-to-face with any de facto leader of the organization. Although, it was entirely possible that Rheyker - or Syrk, rather - led them. He vaguely remembered something of the sort that he had mentioned when he had considered joining him on a quest into the desert. Did he trust Rheyker with the weight of the entire nation? He would no doubt be just, but only through his lens of what justice is. That thought unnerved him. He may not believe the sentinel to be entirely evil, but he had no particular affinity for the man either. Should he be crowned as king, the dancer would find himself a new kingdom to abide in.

But if not Syrk, then who? Of his allies, there seemed to be no one with a particular desire or ability to rule in any given capacity. Kahili was royalty, true, but she seemed uncomfortable enough in small groups, let alone commanding an entire army. Could he even imagine her sending someone to jail or going off to war or even correcting one of her servants? The thought seemed almost implausible. Goddess forbid lover boy ever show his face while she’s in power. Hmm, Phoenix.

Truth be told, he had almost forgotten about the hybrid. Could he be fit to rule, especially alongside of Kahili? True, he did not particularly care for the man, considering the pain he’d dealt to the little princess’ heart, but that did not mean he was inherently evil or unfit to reign. He wished he knew more about the man in question. If he truly was from the future, then that hindsight could really lend a lot of wisdom to the kingdom. He’d know how the decisions made had ended, for better or for worse. He could steer the kingdom away from the wrong decisions and towards the right ones. Still, there was no guarantee that his story was true.

Beyond the beloved birds, there were few other options. Although level-headed, Vanda cared only for the safety of her tribe. Karan would surely bring peace, but could be easily manipulated. No one would trust a Keaton, unfortunately, let alone two of them, thus eliminating Daichi and Rao. Even Alei and Marci were out of the question. Oh Goddess, the two of them ruling together. That would be quite the sight to see. Fiyero, Nell, Marquis, none seemed to make sense.

And then there was Jung. He had never experienced such a haunting chill crawl up the entirety of his spine until that exact moment. Goddess, what chaos that would bring. It wasn’t that the Keaton was completely unreasonable or inhumane. Quite the contrary. After all, was it not Jung himself that had set out on an expedition to discover a cure for the illness that plagued Vanda’s entire tribe? There was good to him…

…but there was also great evil that he saw lurking just behind those ireful irises. Sometimes, it was a shadow that flickered in his eyes, something that froze Jerial to the core whenever he caught the slightest glance of it. He had always known Jung to have frightened eyes, but perhaps they had just reason to be so scared. For he suspected there was something deep within Jung that craved power, the kind of power that only came with a crown. While he was sure (or rather, told himself that he was sure) to be safe with the Keaton holding the crown, he could only fathom what lie in wait for the rest of Hyrule.

He pushed the thought away. He loved, or rather, greatly enjoyed the company and companionship of Jung. But as King of Hyrule? No thank you. That was everyone he could possibly think of, and still no clear-cut answer came to mind. Unless of course…

No. No, absolutely not. The thought shouldn’t even have occurred to him. It was absolutely ludicrous, unthinkable, impossible!

But oh, how it was tempting.

After all, Jerial himself was the only other male Gerudo in existence and, as legend dictated, that did make him the next king. Who’s to say that he could not only be king of his people, but king of the entire land? Surely, he would be far superior to the evil king of the present. He could redeem the reputation of his people. He could revolutionize history.

He could have all he ever wanted. Rubies and emeralds and gemstones of all shapes and sizes adorning his body, cloth of the finest linen covering only what he wished to cover, his luscious locks braided with gold. The people would praise him, his servants crave him, and he could have anything - and anyone - whom he desired, no matter how unattainable. That power proved itself to be rather tantalizing, when thought of as such.

But he couldn’t, and he knew it. That crown was not his to hold. No one would ever trust a Gerudo to be king ever again, let alone a promiscuous dancer from some backwater tribe. His aspirations of holding such power were only delusions of grandeur, fantasies he dare not speak aloud. He deserved no diamonds, nor could he bear the burden of the kingdom on his shoulders. He was too weak-willed, no matter how strong he desired to be.

He was a peasant, and a peasant he would always be.