A/N: Well, it has been a long time, hasn't it? Please forgive me if this chapter is a little choppy or rough around the edges; it's been quite a while since I've written and I'm a little rusty. I do not own The Legend of Zelda.

~Moon White Rose

Chapter 39

It was a feeling in her gut; a whisper in the back of her mind. After twenty-five years of life in the harshest terrain imaginable, Atayla knew her instincts were not to be ignored or discarded. Something was wrong, but for the life of her, she couldn't figure out what exactly was the problem. She was healthy and safe, as were her parents and daughter. The war had actually been in a stalemate for over a year due to her father extending a request of peace, specifically to Queen Serenity and not her husband.

To this day, no one knew why he had done such a thing, but it had yielded results, albeit things were still tense and Ganondorf refused to relinquish what ground he had gained. Overall, this was a time of peace and things were going as well as could be expected, so why did she feel like something terrible and irreversible was about to happen?

Dwelling on it right now wouldn't do her any good, so Atayla forced the unease from her mind and lost herself in the day to day routine of things. By the time the western sky was embracing the sun all unease was gone and completely forgotten. It figured that someone-namely her father- would say something over dinner that brought the unease rushing back.

"A messenger arrived today. Apparently King Eric and Queen Serenity have determined enough is enough. King Eric has stated that he will be with his wife and her mother, the former Queen Zelda, at the border in a few weeks' time. There, we will all sign a treaty to end the war. He requests that we return the land that we have taken, but in exchange, he is bringing a handsome payment; horses, weapons, gold, and above all, the promise of established trade between the two kingdoms."

"That sounds wonderful, but I don't really want to talk with him about this. He's royal by marriage, not blood," Nabooru pointed out. Ganondorf openly agreed.

"I feel the same and truthfully I will listen to what Queen Serenity, and more specifically her mother, has to say more than Eric. They have made genuine efforts to try and end this war. I think it is time to end it as well. I was a fool of a king to start this in the first place. My anger for one spineless rebel was not worth all the bloodshed. Both sides have lost so many lives, not to mention all the strain it has put on resources." He turned to Atayla and placed a hand on her cheek while softly kissing her head. "Make no mistake though, should I ever meet the monster who did that to you, I will end him in a heartbeat."

"Thank-you, Father, but I prefer to think he is already dead or living a miserable life. As for what you've said though, I do agree that the war should end and peace between the two kingdoms would be good… but something about this feels wrong. I don't know what it is, but I think this might not be how it sounds."

"That could very well be the case," Nabooru agreed. "That's why you and Jewel will not be there, at least not out in the open while your father and I settle things with the other royals. I do want you close though, it wouldn't be right for you to stay here. I'm willing to bet that this will be safe and that afterwards some form of celebration will take place, which you would need to attend."

Atayla didn't like the idea of her aging parents going there essentially alone. It sounded like too much of a risk. The dread in her stomach became larger. "No, you're not going without guards. I demand that you take at least a dozen of our best fighters with you for protection and have a few more watching from a distance." Neither Ganondorf nor Nabooru could argue with her request so they agreed and the meal was finished with nothing else said on the matter.

The next morning, Ganondorf sent his reply and it became a waiting game to see what would happen next.

It was perfect. When he had initially heard about his child with the desert pig, he had been furious, but it had caused him to reevaluate the situation. Of course, he had still tried to use brute force to overpower them, but that had gotten them nowhere. Then the letter to his wife came and it had all fallen into place.

King Ganondorf wasn't going to communicate with him, but he seemed to trust Serenity and Zelda, at least to a degree. From that moment on, Eric had changed tactics. He allowed the war to go into a stalemate and had done everything he could to make sure Serenity kept open correspondence with the desert trash. They had slowly relaxed and now they were ready to meet. King Ganondorf and Queen Nabooru were going to be out in the open, practically unguarded.

His wife and mother-in-law would be exposed as well. In one fell swoop, he could get rid of them all. He would have assassins at the ready; loyal to him and able to make it look like Serenity and Zelda would have been murdered by the Gerudo while his other men would take out Ganondorf and Nabooru in retaliation.

It was a flawless plan and his chance to execute it was coming quickly. Serenity had finally received word that their offer of peace had been accepted and the designated day to meet was fast approaching.

At last, his plan was coming together and he could truly be the sole ruler of Hyrule.

Ushering in the morning of peace- the long awaited day of death to war- was a crimson sun and brooding clouds. It was a grim omen to Atayla and for the countless time, she began to second guess this all. She had been taught to graciously accept a gift, but knew not all things that seemed sweet were pure in intent.

King Eric had come onto the scene seemingly out of nowhere. Queen Zelda had been a powerful, firm, but loving voice for her people. She had been a fair ruler and had left the Gerudo alone during her reign. It had stood to reason that Serenity's reign would be identical to her mother's but that had not been the case since the very first day. Her marriage day and coronation had gone hand in hand and Eric had immediately taken over, turning Hyrule into a shadow of its former self.

Undoubtedly, he had manipulated his way onto the throne and he assuredly ruled the lower class with an iron fist. Cruelty, greed and pride had been staples of his personality, so it didn't sit well with her that he suddenly was ready to give up this war and admit truce with a race he clearly held in disdain. There was something here she wasn't seeing and it made her as angry as the sky above her.

Servants tried to calm her, but it was of no use. Fed up, she returned to her tent and fell onto her sleeping mat. As planned, she was hidden out of sight of where the signing was to take place. If all went well, she and Jewel would be joining her family soon to celebrate the newfound peace. 'If all goes well.' Vicious in its assault, the thought continuously tore her up inside.

Just when she thought she would actually tear into something, just to alleviate her tension, Jewel's sweet voice and the sound of her little feet washed over her ears, immediately calming her. "Mommy, when are Grandfather and Grandmother going to return?" Atayla scooped up her six year old and hugged her. "I'm worried. I had a scary dream," she added with a quiver of her lower lip.

"Oh, and what was your dream about?" Jewel looked at her, blinked her still somewhat sleepy eyes, and began to cry.

"The bad king killed Grandmother." If a knife had stabbed her heart right then, she knew it wouldn't hurt anywhere near as badly as what had just been said. "He killed her," she sobbed. Atayla knew that now more than ever she had to get the border and save her parents before it was too late.

"So we are in agreement? I will return all the land I claimed in the war without any problems and in exchange…peace? No more fighting, no more disputes, and you recognize Gerudo Valley as a kingdom wholly separate from Hyrule?" Ganondorf made sure to look Eric in the eyes so that he understood this was serious. Eric was practically a young pup; a cocky child who knew nothing of the world and how it worked. That this whelp was the source of all the problems over the years was astounding, but Ganondorf brushed his amusement aside. "Well?"

"Yes. It's time the war ended." Eric held out his hand in offering to the Gerudo King. "From now on…may the land only know peace." He started to reach out, to shake his hand and seal the deal, but with less than an inch separating them, a voice screamed out through the canyons.

"FATHER! NO!" The Gerudo sentries looked all over for the source of the voice and Eric took his hand and gripped with all his might.

"Rot in the ground, you desert pig," he hissed softly before stepping away and all chaos breaking loose. Time seemed to go in slow motion. Ganondorf saw the arrow. He saw it whiz by his head and going straight for Queen Zelda. Apparently, Nabooru saw it too because she rushed towards the queen, clearly intending to knock her out of harm's way.

Even in the chaotic confusion, with thunder booming and the sky letting loose a torrential downpour, Ganondorf heard nothing. Time slowed to a near stop for him and for Atayla who knew what was going to happen even as she tried to stop it.

"MOTHER!"

"NABOORU!"

The sickening sound of the arrow piercing flesh seemed to echo endlessly in Ganondorf's ears. He watched as his wife, his queen, his other half crumple to the ground seconds after pushing Queen Zelda away from the danger. Screams of rage broke out and instantly, the ringing noise of blades meeting blades drowned out anything and everything else. The atmosphere ignited something in Ganondorf, and Atayla who now by his side as they knelt beside Nabooru.

"D-don't…don't le-let my…my dea…ath go to to wwa-aste. Bring p-p-pea…ce to our…p-peo-ple. I-I-I lo..ove you…you both." The Gerudo Queen took in a few shuddering breaths, then fell silent. Ganondorf closed her eyes and rose to his feet. Atayla stood by her father and they both knew what they had to do. They would honor Nabooru's final wish. The war would end today and both kingdoms would be peace, one way or another.

The war was over; truly over at last, but it was a hollow, bitter victory. After the attack, there had been a lot of confusion, fear, and fighting, but eventually, the party who shot Nabooru had been found and the truth was dragged into the light.

King Eric had manipulated his way to the throne, had planned to have his wife and mother-in-law assassinated the day of the peace treaty signing, and he was the one who had attacked and forced himself on Atayla. When all this had been discovered, it took every ounce of restraint Ganondorf had to not kill the monster then and there.

In the end, all the conspirators had been rounded up and given the death sentence. They would receive quick, painless deaths, something Ganondorf wasn't happy about, and Zelda would resume being Queen of Hyrule temporarily until things calmed down. When the time was right, Serenity would take over as queen, and she assured Ganondorf she would follow in her mother's footsteps and treat the Gerudo with respect and that her reign would be nothing like Eric's had been.

Ganondorf left Hyrule confident that things would get better, but it had been a long, solemn trip back to Gerudo Valley. There was peace at last, but it ached to know he would never share in that peace with his wife.

Arriving home, he was greeted by Atayla and Jewel. They both were still wearing black and they looked as if they had been crying recently, but they greeted him with open arms and hugged him tightly. Nabooru was gone, but they were still here and that gave him the strength to face the coming days as they worked together to lead their people into a bright and better future.

A/N: Well, I know it's not the best chapter, but hey, practice makes perfect, right? I have to say, it feels so good to be writing again and I look forward to finishing this fic and working on my other stories. See you in the next chapter!

~Moon White Rose