A/N: New chapter! I do not own Zelda, sadly. Enjoy!

~Moon White Rose

Chapter 13

"Atayla, get back here!" her father demanded. She just laughed and continued to dart around the room. At seven, she was a natural ball of energy, but never had she been so hyper this late in the evening.

"Catch me if you can Daddy!" she taunted playfully while jumping from foot to foot. For the love of all that was good, why was she so wound up?

"Atayla, come on, it's time for you to get ready for bed, starting with a good washing," he said while making a grab for her arm. She dodged, laughing at the fact that his large, strong body was putting him at a disadvantage to catch her small, nimble form.

Sighing wearily, he turned to face her and was met with her dazzling smile and red eyes glowing with mischief. Just like you, when you were her age...Ganondorf shook his head at the unexpected thought, though it was true. Just like Atayla, he had been a mischievous, wild child a great deal of the time, delighting in causing unending grief for any 'mother' or 'sister' around.

But now he was the weary parent ready for bed and he wondered if what he deserved was finally catching up with him. After all, what was that old saying? What goes around, comes around, he thought. He sank to the ground and Atayla cocked her head, wondering if this was a trick.

"Atayla, why are you so feisty tonight, hmm?" he questioned softly. She shrugged her shoulders and he smirked.

"Oh really? Well you need to get washed up... and I'm sure Nabooru would play with you." Atayla's eyes lit up even more and Ganondorf felt this to be a small victory.

"Really?" she asked. He managed to scoop her up and he felt slight sadness at the fact that she was getting a bit heavier and bigger.

Before you know it, she'll be all grown up...

"Yes, who else helps you get washed up?" he said quickly, attempting to rid his mind of the unwelcomed thought. She just smiled and squirmed, obviously giddy at the thought of seeing her second favorite person in the Gerudo Kingdom.

Nabooru was his second in command, and the only one aside from himself that knew that Atayla wasn't his blood child. She had been the one he had tried to pass her off to the night she was found, and she had kept his secret since. The rest of the Gerudo believed that Atayla was the offspring of an unknown mistress that died in birth and for now, he wanted it to stay that way.

Also, Nabooru was the only Gerudo woman that Atayla truly loved and adored; the rest she just tolerated, and some barely at that.

It didn't take long to find Nabooru and the moment she was spotted, Atayla jumped out of her father's arms and rushed over. "Hi Nabooru, we're looking for you!" Atayla proclaimed, while giving her a hug. Nabooru, who had bent down so she was level with Atayla, returned the hug, then stood, giving her king a slight bow.

"Well, you have found me. What can I do for you, your majesty?" A small smile tugged at Ganondorf's lips, but he turned away before it could be seen.

"Just help her get washed up, please, then bring her back to her room. Thank-you." Then he walked away. A part of him hoped Atayla would call him back and demand for at least a hug, but no such luck.

She was happily walking away with Nabooru. He tried to distract himself by going over numerous ideas on how to conquer Hyrule, but his mind kept drifting back to the one thing that truly mattered to him.

Atayla.

He found himself in the throne room, and after dismissing the guards, sat down in his throne. Thoughts swirled around his head; all sad attempts at trying to block out the memories that were demanding center stage.

In his mind's eye, he saw it all, the good and the bad, the pretty and the ugly. The night he found Atayla out in the desert, the night that changed his life forever. He could practically feel the cold wind around him once more and again feel the unexplainable fear and urge to protect well in him once more.

He could see the Wolfos again and vividly, he could recall taking them on with his bare hands. Other memories flashed by and he couldn't help but realize how much Atayla had changed him.

Before he had found her, his life had been consumed with dark ambition; ambition that was still a part him, but not as strongly as before. All in all, he couldn't believe how much he had changed in just six short years. He had gone from being a twenty-six year old king driven by evil desires to a thirty-two year old father who sometimes felt twice his age.

He wouldn't trade it for anything though, not even Hyrule... it would be his one day anyway. After all, Atayla deserves it. Only the best for her and the rest of the Gerudo, he thought. He stood and walked all the way to Atayla's room in a thoughtful daze, but willed himself to snap out of it. Now was not the time to dwell in the past.

Upon entering, he was met with the sound of Atayla's high pitched giggles and couldn't help but laugh at the cause. Nabooru had Atayla securely in her gasp and was tickling her so much that BOTH were laughing.

"No, stop, please!" Atayla begged through her laughs. "Please!"

"I think you better Nabooru, before she laughs herself to death," he said, making his presence known. She stopped, looking a bit sheepish at being caught in such a carefree state.

"Yes your majesty. Goodnight princess," she added to Atayla before bowing to both and leaving.

Somewhere in his heart, Ganondorf felt the regular prick of sadness he always felt when Nabooru treated him so formally. It hadn't always been like that...

"Come on sweetheart, time for bed." he pulled the covers back for her, and reluctantly, she crawled in.

"I'm not sleepy." She pouted as he tucked her in, handing her her pillow. "Do I have to go to bed now?"

"Yes, you have training, and work, and who knows what else tomorrow. You need sleep," was his reply. She huffed and glared, obviously doing her best to either make him feel guilty, or intimidate him.

Honestly, he thought it was cute.

"Not going to work brat," he teased while bearing his signature smirk. Another huff was his reply, but she smiled when he kissed her head.

"Good night Atayla." he whispered. "Love you brat."

"Good night, Daddy," she giggled. "I love you too...big brat." He just rolled his eyes and left.

It could never be questioned; Atayla was most definitely her father's daughter.

Two hours later, Atayla was still wide awake. She had long since climbed out of bed and was now running around her room with her worn, wooden practice sword, slashing at imaginary monsters.

"I'll kill you!" she proclaimed as she dodged a 'monster's' attack, before running her sword through its make believed stomach. "Yes! Victory, I'm Queen of the Gerudo! I'm Queen, I'm Queen, I'm-"

"Very loud," an amused voice cut off. Atayla whirled around and came face to face with Nabooru who was leaning in the doorway.

"I'm all for practice Atayla, and I appreciate the enthusiasm in training, but shouldn't you be in bed?" Nabooru asked as she took Atayla's sword and knelt so she was eye to eye with the princess.

"I can't sleep. Can you start my training lesson now?" she begged, which made Nabooru laugh.

She's so much like her father...

"No, not now. What you need right now is sleep, but since you're having such a hard time falling asleep, maybe we should go ask... your father for help," she said.

"Aww, no! Please Nabooru, don't tell Daddy I'm still up," pleaded Atayla. Instead, Nabooru just grabbed her hand and began to lead her up to her father's chamber.

"Don't worry your highness; I don't think he'll be mad. Now come on, let's go."

"Who is it?" Ganondorf barked when a knocking at his door shattered his concentration. He had been carefully studying maps of Hyrule as well other things that could possibly point out a weakness in the bountiful kingdom's grand defenses.

The last thing he wanted was to be interrupted. It better not be something stupid, or he was going to get very angry, very quickly. Instead, the door opened and Nabooru cautiously poked her head in. His annoyance evaporated and he motioned her in.

"Sorry to bother you, your majesty, but when I happened to pass Princess Atayla's room... and, well-"

"I couldn't sleep Daddy, I tried, but I couldn't!" Atayla cut in, running into the room.

"She was defending all us Gerudo from an army of monsters," Nabooru said dryly. "We owe her our lives."

"Is that so?" he chuckled. "Thank-you Nabooru. Come here Atayla," he added. Nabooru left and Ganondorf set Atayla in his lap.

"You should be in bed," he murmured, "or you'll be cranky tomorrow."

"I tried, I'm just not tired. Play with me, please?" He shook his head and silence filled the room for a moment.

"Then I want a bedtime story," she ordered, folding her little arms across her chest. This took Ganondorf by surprise. She hadn't asked for a bedtime story since she was five.

"All right, what about?" Atayla thought, but nothing came to mind. He made a few suggestions, but she said no to each. Silence once again settled, and naturally, Atayla broke it, but what she asked took him completely by surprise; more so than asking for a story.

"Daddy, where's my Mommy?" He had known this would no doubt come up someday, but it still took him off guard.

"You don't... you don't have a Mommy," he replied. By now they were on his bed, both lying down. At this statement however, Atayla sat up and stared at him.

"Yes I do," she shot back. "All Gerudo girls have Mommies-that's where they come from; their Mommy's tummy!" If he had been drinking something, he would be choking on it.

"W-what, how do you know that?" he demanded. She just rolled her eyes, as if the answer were obvious.

"Because, I've seen Gerudo women with a baby in their tummy. Every Gerudo girl has a Mommy and Daddy. Right?"

"Umm... right," he replied. This was getting awkward. A story was starting to sound like a good idea.

"So where is my Mommy? And all the other Gerudo girls, where are their Daddies? Also, what does a Daddy have to do with a baby Gerudo being in the Mommy's tummy and how does it get there?"

A story was definitely a wonderful idea.

"You do notneed to worry about those last two questions until you're older. Much older," he said quickly.

"Oh, all right," she mumbled in reply.

"To answer the other questions... I don't know where everyone else's Daddies are, and as for... your Mommy... she, she left."

"Oh, where did she go?"

"Far away," was his immediate response. He hated lying to her, but for now, this was the best he could do.

"Why?"

"Well, umm... she... that is, umm... How about that story, do you know what you want to hear yet?" She nodded and inwardly, he sighed gratefully.

"Well, what do you want to hear?"

"How you and Mommy met." Just when he thought he was out of the woods. He panicked, but refused to let it show.

"Oh, are you sure?"

"Yes Daddy," she replied as she made herself comfortable. When she was situated, she gazed up at him, waiting for him to begin.

Suddenly, the perfect idea came to him, and he made himself comfy as well. He would have to be careful, change some things maybe, but he was sure he could make it work.

"All right sweetheart," he said. "That particular story goes something like this. A long time ago, here in the Gerudo Kingdom, there was a young prince named Ganondorf, and one day he was being very, very, very... bad."

A/N: No one worry, the chapter was supposed to end there. This is going to be a two part deal, this being part one. Part two will be the actual story, and when you read it, you'll see why I divided it this way.

Now, thanks to:

Radius Flame, ninjafaceify, Claradwor, Sorceress of Shadows, Sky Chain Lilyana, LadyDM, Haley, Forest Princess, TennisWriter456, Anonymous Fellow, RawkHawk2.0, Bree-Bee233, Lady Isludis, and SMILEH123(×3).

~Moon White Rose