A/N: It's somewhat sad to think that, counting this update, there are only ten updates left before this story is done. I'm rather embarrassed that it took me so long to get this story finished, but at least I'm getting it completed. With that being said, I kind of need some help.

I've really gotten back into writing; I lost my motivation for so long, but now that it's back, I want to keep it going so please tell me which of my In Progress fics you want me to focus on next. I won't be starting anything new, but I would love to go back and get some of my other fics done. Leave me a review telling me what to focus on next; I want to make you all happy. :)

I don't own The Legend of Zelda; that should be obvious by now.

Also, for this chapter, italics will indicate something happening in the past. Thoughts are also still in italics.

~Moon White Rose

Chapter 34

There was no recognizing the young woman which gazed at her with utter disgust, just as there was no excusing the distastefulness of her extravagant clothing. Princess Serenity thought she looked positively inappropriate for such a time as this… but what could she do? The woman she was so reviled by was her own reflection and the princess accepted the shame of her appearance with humility. No longer able to stomach the sight that the mirror portrayed, she turned away and carefully stepped down from the pedestal on which she had been standing. "Everything is satisfactory; I shall not require another fitting before… before the wedding. Help me undress, please."

"Of course, my princess," one maid replied while all three dutifully helped her escape the endless sea of white lace and cloth which seemed to drown her. Even when she was once again clothed in something more breathable and less restraining, Serenity swore she could still feel the material on her skin; rubbing her raw and burning her in the most humiliating of ways. She had always been told that weddings were supposed to be times of great joy and happiness as two people were joined together as man and wife.

The only thing her upcoming nuptials left her feeling, however, was an aching pain. She didn't feel on the brink of something grand and beautiful, but on the edge of something ready to rob her of everything she valued. Try as she had, and she had tried once she accepted the fact that she had been bartered off, she felt nothing positive for her soon to be husband. His smiles and words were kind on the surface, if others were present, but behind closed doors, and when they were alone, he was still the cruel little boy that he had been when they first met, only now it was worse.

He wasn't a little boy any more, but a grown man. Even in her heels, he always had a few inches over her, and physically, he had little in the way of rivals. He had to always be the best in everything, so of course he had pushed himself to be the greatest knight in Hyrule's history. Now he was a fully realized knight, a lord in his own right, but that wasn't enough for him. His eyes were on the crown, and that is what perhaps saddened her the most. That's what she was for him; his crown to be won. This fact tormented her to no end, especially since tomorrow he would finally win, but one thing worried her even more.

By tomorrow night, he would be the King of Hyrule. It was not just a wedding but a coronation as well and with all of her heart, she wondered what kind of king he would be. The people deserved the best that the Royal Family could offer; more so now than ever with a war raging between them and the Gerudo. The desert dwellers, though smaller in forces, were not making this an easy war. They had set fires to the farms on the border, stolen livestock and produce and had uprooted hundreds of people from their homes.

Every week there were reports of people being taken hostage or tales of Hylians turning against the crown and siding with King Ganondorf in the hopes of being spared his wrath. Her mother had done her best to smooth things over and try to reach a peace once again, but the desert king repaid each extension with more destruction and bloodshed. By tomorrow night, it would be up to her husband as to how the war should be dealt with and she seriously doubted he would handle it with the same poise, patience, and wisdom as her mother.

Of course, that didn't mean her mother had been lax. Queen Zelda wasn't going to just sit by and let harm befall her people, but her strategy had been more defensive than offensive in the hopes that King Ganondorf would tire and be willing to work out a truce. Serenity at first had thought her mother was being too generous, but then she had learned the truth about why the Gerudo had suddenly attacked. Their princess had been forced on by a Hylian while on one of their Boyfriend Hunts. She had only been there to observe and protect, yet she had been snatched away and degraded in the most disgusting of ways.

What made it worse was that it apparently had been very deliberate; the attacker had even boasted to the desert princess that his actions were on behalf of the Royal Family. In a matter of minutes, the fragile trust that had been growing between the two kingdoms for decades had been crushed and now, almost a year later, it was clear that the Gerudo weren't going to let up until their desire for revenge was satisfied. This is what she and her husband would inherit and it bothered her to no end that she couldn't predict her fiancé's course of action.

Actually, she couldn't picture how Eric would handle anything. Of course she had a say in things, she was the blood royal after all, but the people were thirsting for a king suddenly. One year of war had apparently erased from their minds the nearly fifteen years of peace her mother had led them through since taking the queen's crown at the mere age of twenty-two. Every good thing her mother had done for the people was no only a memory; they wanted a king and now they were going to get one.

It was almost suspicious when she really thought about it; how everything had fallen into place for Eric to be the King and hero the people thought they wanted. Feeling a headache beginning to form, Serenity let go of her inner musings and settled for wandering around the castle. Since tomorrow was the wedding, she had been excused all week from her normal duties so she could devote her full attention to any last minute details. The problem with that was all of the planning had been done for her. She hadn't really had a say in much and because of that, the wedding was stupidly big. She didn't want a huge wedding at all.

Even if she had been in love with Eric, her dream day wouldn't have included nearly as much grandeur and indulgence. She found joy in the simplest things; she always had and hoped she always would. Add to the fact that the war had put a strain on supplies and goods, the excessive levels of splendor that had been put into this event actually made her angry. They didn't need all of this food and finery, nor did every miniscule detail need to be attended to. It was an absolute waste and she feared how it would come across to the public, especially those directly affected by all of the fighting.

The headache started getting more noticeable and she halted to rub the sides of her head. "Don't let the stress get to you, sweetheart," said a voice suddenly. "You're stronger than you know." Zelda stopped beside her daughter and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder. Things were still a bit cold between the two of them but mostly, Serenity had forgiven her for what happened. "You're going to make a beautiful bride and you'll be a queen better than I could ever dream of being. You are ready for this."

"Am I though? Besides, I think the more important thing to worry about is him. He's not been trained to handle the matters of Hyrule. He's a warrior and I don't want our whole reign to be ruled by a sword." Serenity had resumed walking while she spoke and Zelda fell in step beside her. Serenity thought she must surely be tired after all that had gone on, but Queen Zelda carried herself with an air of dignity and energy that the twenty year old princess envied as much as admired. 'Hopefully, I'll be like that one day. Nothing ever seems to truly bother her, and even when she is rattled, she never lets it show. She shouldn't be giving up the throne now; we all still need her too much.'

"Why don't we take our afternoon meal in my chamber today? It could be just the two of us. This… this is my last day of you as just my daughter. Tomorrow you'll be married and you'll be the queen, including mine. What do you say?" Serenity couldn't have objected even if she wanted to. The look in her mother's eyes was so soft and pleading, but so full of love and warmth. She could feel her mouth curve into a half smile and Serenity wrapped an arm around her mom's shoulders.

"That sounds absolutely perfect."

"This was just what I needed; thank-you, mother." The queen couldn't hold back the grin which took over her face at the kind words. The meal had been better than expected and had done both women a lot of good. Moments of retreat and seclusion were rare and Zelda couldn't think of a better person to spend her quiet moments with. "Do you think it would be too much to ask for us to miss dinner and take that meal in here as well? I'm rather enjoying the space and peace."

"I do not see why that cannot happen, and I agree; this is probably the best thing for both of us right now. Tomorrow is going to be busy." Serenity groaned before collapsing onto the sofa. Zelda noted that she must truly be at ease to allow her manners to slide in such a way. That meant this was working and that she was finally relaxing. "I am sorry, sweetheart. I didn't mean to bother you." Stopping by the sofa, she brushed renegade strands of hair out of Serenity's eyes. "I am happy that you are more at ease now though. You were getting so stressed, I was worried you were going to age overnight."

Princess Serenity sat up, making room for her mother. Once she was seated, Serenity rested her head on her shoulder and heaved a sigh. "I feel like I'm aging though. It seems that no matter what happens, there's always something else going on that makes things just a little bit harder to handle. I don't feel ready for this at all. I know I won't be a good queen."

"That is not true," Zelda sternly replied while wrapping the younger woman in a hug. "You will be a wonderful queen. You are wise and compassionate, patient and strong. If anyone is a terrible queen, it is me." Serenity pulled back from her mother and looked at her as if she were crazy. How in all of Hyrule could she think so little of herself? Zelda was one of the best rulers Hyrule had ever had! Seeing the protest building in Serenity's eyes, Zelda smiled sadly. "I have failed in many ways, sweetie; most of all though, I have failed you. I am not a good queen, nor am I a good mother. I hope you know though that I am deeply sorry for all I have done and I also hope you know how much I love you."

Her immediate reaction was to tell her that she loved her too and that it was all right, but she reined the words back. She loved her mother; that was obvious and it would never change. Still, everything that had happened had altered her life and put her in a position where she felt unnecessary pain. Queen Zelda had been a part of that and she had left Serenity out of things. 'But, she was only a part, wasn't she…?'

"Mother, how did all of this get started in the first place? I want to know everything. I think I deserve that much." The truth in those words couldn't be ignored but that didn't mean this would be easy to say. Serenity was right though; she did deserve to know how this had all come about.

"Well, as you know, I was seventeen when I found you. The moment I laid eyes on you, I couldn't help but fall in love. My father had already passed away, but his counselors did not think I was ready for the throne so it was sort of a joint rule, I suppose." Zelda shook her head at some memory that Serenity couldn't hope to guess at. "I use to think my old advisors were awful, given how much they disliked the idea of me raising you, but now I'd give almost anything to have them back."

"Why? If you didn't like them that much, why would you want them back?" A thin smile took over Zelda's face and it unnerved the bride to be greatly.

"Because, sweetheart, it was when they left that things ultimately got to where they were for you."

"Mama, do you think every day could be my birthday?" The question was so sweetly innocent that Zelda at first couldn't respond. It thrilled her heart to no end seeing Serenity happy and she felt like she'd be a rotten person for telling her that it couldn't be her birthday all the time.

"I wish it could baby, but it can't. That doesn't mean each day can't be special though." Thankfully, Serenity didn't seem too disappointed in her answer and Zelda breathed an internal sigh of relief. For almost an hour they played with Serenity's new toys until the birthday girl began to yawn. Her day had been long and she looked ready for bed; if she were honest, Zelda could admit that she was ready to sleep as well. It took a little coaxing, but Zelda was able to get Serenity away from her gifts and back up to her room.

In record time she was bathed and dressed for bed. She was so tired that she didn't even ask for a bedtime story. "Sleep well, my beautiful girl; happy birthday." The elder princess tiptoed from the room, closing the door softly. Zelda began to head to her own room, but when she rounded the corner, she ran into the last person she wished to see.

"Your highness," Agahnim said, bowing. "The other counselors and I wish to see you as soon as possible; there are urgent matters that need to be discussed." The princess didn't give a verbal response but merely nodded. She knew what he wanted to talk to her about and she refused to let this happy day end on a sour note. Slipping past him, she continued down the hall, but he began to follow.

"Agahnim, I am tired and wish to rest. I assure you we can speak tomorrow."

"Your highness, I'll be very upfront. We believe the time is approaching for you to be crowned Queen… yet you are still unwed and you are raising a commoner as a royal; your heir no less! I know that you do not wish to entertain this idea, but you must. For the good of Hyrule you need to marry. We need a King."

"How horrid!" Serenity shook her head as her mother stopped speaking. "I've never cared for him personally, but for him to think he could speak to you in such a way, mother….I'm sorry." The queen placed a hand on top of her daughter's. In her eyes, Serenity could see that there was no need to feel sad or upset on her behalf. "What happened after that?"

"Well, there was a lot of arguing leading up to my coronation. None of them were really happy with me. I was scared; the idea of being a wife terrified me more than being a queen or mother. I knew nothing of romance and I truthfully didn't want to learn. I wanted to focus on the people and you." Zelda paused and took a sip of tea to calm her nerves. "More than anything, I was worried about what would happen to you if I married. Would he accept you fully, or would he hate you, hurt you and put his children above you? There were many times in my life when I wondered if my father loved me as much as he said. I never wanted you to feel that way."

A thousand things to say died on Serenity's tongue as quickly as they came. Each time she would open her mouth it would close and the room would sink further into silence. It had been obvious all of her life that she had been loved by her mother, but only now was she really beginning to see just how deep that love ran. As a child, she had naively thought that love meant lots of hugs and kisses, warm smiles and tender displays of affection.

Now she was seeing it was so, so much more than that.

"I did it for me too, of course. I really didn't want to get married. Impa and a few others sided with me and argued that it should be my choice to wed and that if I decided in the future to do so, then I would be wise enough to pick someone who would genuinely care about you, me, and Hyrule." A humorless laugh left Zelda. "Of course, it wasn't until years later that I learned my victory set you up for your downfall."

"What was that all about?" Zelda was on the balcony, stealing a few minutes alone before returning to the celebration. She looked over her shoulder at Sheik. He came up beside her and she heard the sigh he tried to hold in. "Sheik? Is she all right? Did something happen to her?"

"Your daughter is fine, Zel," he murmured. It was quite rare for him to address her with that childhood nickname and it took her by surprise. "You both did wonderfully tonight. It's hard to believe that she's only eleven and has been playing the harp for such a short time. She's a natural." As much as she wished to know where he was going with this, she couldn't stop smiling at the compliment. "A young boy was making fun of her. She felt hurt and was upset that no one had asked her to dance. I was merely trying to make her happy."

"And I thank you for that. It means more to me than I can say that you are so kind to her." The Queen's lips twitched up into a warm grin. "It's nice to know that some things will never change about you." Before he could respond, a third person joined the duo on the balcony and the smile on Zelda's face instantly became forced. It didn't go unnoticed by her either that Sheik went rigid and sent a mild glare in the direction of the new arrival.

"There you are your grace; we've been looking for you everywhere." Agahnim bowed. "Your people are wondering where you are at and besides, it's not safe for you to be alone and unprotected."

"The Queen is perfectly safe," said Sheik evenly while his hand gripped the hilt of his blade. "You do not doubt my abilities, are you?" The advisor shook his head and an awkward silence fell. Zelda motioned for Sheik to leave, as it was becoming clear that Agahnim had more than just her safety on his mind.

"What do you want?" It was all she needed to ask; in seconds he was all business, despite the fact that he wouldn't meet her gaze directly. Actually, it appeared the scenery below the balcony was more worthy of his attention. He gazed at it for a long moment before finally shattering the tense silence.

"Your grace, we have respected your wishes to not pressure you into marriage, but we feel we have given you too much leniency. You are nearly thirty years of age and you have shown absolutely no interest in anyone. Due to this, we have accepted that Princess Serenity will be the one to succeed you on the throne, despite not being of royal blood." At last their gazes met and Zelda was actually frightened by the look in his eyes.

"Rest assured though, your grace, this will not be permitted to happen again. When we suggested this celebration be held, we had another reason behind it."

"Such as?" demanded Zelda, her voice a quiet hiss. Agahnim, if he was fazed by her tone, didn't let it show. Instead he merely held out his arm to escort her inside. It would be undignified for her to refuse so she accepted, though she truthfully wanted to slap him across the face. Who did he think he was? "Answer me," she murmured as they returned to the dimly lit halls of the castle.

"The guest list was no accident. All nobility with sons close in age to the princess were invited for a reason. We, your advisors, have been watching them all night, assembling a list of which we think will make a great potential husband and king down the road. You may have escaped marriage, but in doing so, you've sealed your daughter's fate; there will be no choice for her."

"As wrong as it was for him to say that, I realized then that he was right, of course." Zelda shook her head while vacantly staring at her hands gently folded in her lap. "Agahnim is smart and he has had more than enough good moments which have benefitted Hyrule, so I could never justify dismissing him from his position."

"That doesn't matter; mother it sounds like he was using you, making you his puppet." Serenity rose and began pacing. "None of this is right. I understand that the royal line needs to be continued, I truly do, but this is wrong. We are the light the people of Hyrule look to, and yet all that seems to go on behind these walls are acts of darkness and deception."

"And that is why you will be so much better at ruling than me. I let fear hinder me until I was backed into a corner I couldn't get out of."

"…So how did I end up with Eric, of all people? I want to know, mother," Serenity softly inquired when she felt herself start to crumble under the weight of her mother's confession and belief in her ability to rule.

Heaving a sigh, Zelda shared the rest of the details. "Agahnim was right; a list of potential "suitors" was drawn up and it was reviewed. I was included in the details at first, but I was quickly shut off from the process. They told me they were just going to wait until you were older before looking at the list again and I foolishly believed them."

"As it turns out, one of the other advisors saw your little squabble with Eric from a distance and mistook it for simple talking. From there, they reviewed his family tree and they liked that he came from such a well-established line of nobility. Again I was somewhat aware of what was going on, but before I knew it, I was agreeing with Eric's father that you two should be wed, but then my advisors went behind my back and said it would be on your eighteenth birthday. I tried for years to make that clear, but Eric's father wouldn't listen. So at fourteen you were betrothed."

"And you couldn't think of a way to tell me." It wasn't a question. Serenity shook her head before rubbing her face. "For a kingdom that boasts of being noble and pure, this family sure has become quite corrupted." For some reason the statement made Zelda laugh and soon Serenity was giggling too, even though there was clearly nothing to laugh about. It was sad fact, yet exposing it to the light and owning up to it actually made both women feel better.

Nothing could be done about the past, but that didn't mean Serenity couldn't fix it for the future. The past, her past, gave her wisdom and insight; her mother's mistakes were ones she could learn from just as much as her successes.

"So basically I was left in the streets and seen as filth; unwanted and unloved. Then I was found by you. You brought me home, made me a princess and to this day, despite the ways I've hurt you over the years, still love me unconditionally. Corruption seeped in through Agahnim and the advisors and you were pressured to let me married off. In short we both were hurt and we let it happen. I've been engaged to a man I hate since I was fourteen and tomorrow I will again be forced to do something I don't want to do." To Zelda's surprise, a tiny smile appeared on Serenity's face.

"Serenity?"

"Mother, I love you and I always will. I will always need your wisdom, but I think the time has come for me to develop other parts of myself that until now I have been too timid and afraid to embrace. I need courage to stand up for myself and not let things happen to me that I know are wrong. I need power too; the power to believe that I can be the ruler you see. I need to know that when I take a stand, I have the power in me to back it up." Before Zelda could react, she was trapped in a firm hug. "More than your wisdom though, I will always need you. I love you mother."

"I love you too, my dear, sweet, wonderful daughter. I love you too."

A/N: Sorry if this chapter was a little heavy with dialogue; I know some readers find that boring, so again I apologize. Anyway, thanks to the following people for reviewing the last chapter:

LadyDM, kirbyfan1996, Reviewer, HiddenInTheSun, and Guest

As always, please let me know what you think; I kind of would like to see this story hit 500 reviews, but that's just me. Seriously though, please let me know what you want me to work on next after Divine Punishment. With that, I'll see you all later.

~Moon White Rose