A/N: Hey everyone, I hope you all enjoyed the last chapter! This story is so much fun to work on; I hope you all like reading it as much as I like writing it. Before we begin this chapter though, I want to warn that some adult topics will be mentioned briefly, so please keep the rating in mind. Now, on to the chapter and I do not own The Legend of Zelda. Also, I have a poll up so please go vote in it, it would really help me out a lot; thanks!

~Moon White Rose

Chapter 40

"Serenity?" The aging voice of her mother brought the twenty-six year old royal out of her daydreaming state. She blinked her bright blue eyes and smiled halfheartedly at her mother. The old queen returned the smile and squeezed her daughter's hand. "May I give you a rupee for your thoughts, my darling? You have been so distracted lately. What's the matter?"

There was no lying to her mother; she was too wise and saw everything. Sighing, Serenity pulled her hand away, folded them in her lap, and just stared at the ground. "Mother…I'm lonely. Not for a husband; I have no desire to remarry, not after how awful Eric was to everyone. I want to be a queen like you, one who rules fairly without needing a king. With that said…as often as Eric forced me to his bed…why didn't I get pregnant?" That last part was uttered in a pained whisper and Serenity felt tears slide down her cheeks which were heating up in embarrassment. "Mother, what's wrong with me? Why couldn't I have a baby? I…I want a child. I want to be a mother."

Zelda was momentarily lost for words at the proclamation and her heart went out to her daughter. Going over to her, Zelda hugged her and allowed Serenity to just cry for several minutes. "My dear, I have no answer as to why you could not conceive," Zelda said when she had calmed down. Serenity wiped her eyes on the napkin her mother offered her, wondering why fate had dealt her such a cruel hand. "As you know, I found you and adopted you, so I do not know anything of your blood parents and if infertility was something they struggled with."

"I don't care about them. They abandoned me; you are my mother and that will never change. But it just isn't fair. I genuinely care about our kingdom and our people. I try to live a life that is noble and helpful. Eric was a vile, selfish monster who had no problem fathering a child with the Gerudo princess. For all I know, he might have fathered children with other women. Why was he blessed with fertility when he was so evil, and I'm cursed with being barren?!"

"…Perhaps it's not a curse, perhaps it's to teach you more compassion." Serenity looked at her mother with nothing but confusion. "Women who cannot have children are often shunned and ridiculed and devalued by society, yet it is not their fault and they are our people too. Everyone needs to be loved and appreciated. You, my dear, have such a big heart…and I think you have so much love in that heart that you can love those deemed unlovable and unwanted. I think you have a heart that can love a child as your own, even if you did not bare it. Serenity, I believe adoption might be the path you should take."

Adoption; it was such a simple suggestion, and given she had been adopted herself Serenity wondered why the idea had never crossed her mind. But would it really be that simple? The bond between her and her mother had been instantaneous, which was undoubtedly a rare thing. Would she be able to form that kind of bond with a child? Would any child even want her as their mother? It was a lot to consider and it left her feeling tired and defeated.

"Serenity, go and retire early. Rest on it; you do not need to decide right this moment what you want to do. Think about it, take all the time you need, and remember I will be here to support you no matter what you decide."

Weeks had passed and each day, Serenity thought about what she and her mother had discussed. As far as she was concerned, marriage was never going to happen again, so there was no possibility of having a child that way. Even if she did marry, she was certain she couldn't get pregnant and she had made her peace with that. Just because she couldn't have a child biologically, that did not mean she was inferior or worthless. She could do a lot of good for her people just the way she was, and that's what she determined to do.

Of course, making peace with her infertility and deciding to move forward did not change the fact that she ached to be a mother. She knew her mother would not be around forever and truthfully, Serenity was scared to go through life all alone. That, she supposed, was part of her reasoning for wanting a child, but most of all, she wanted to give the love she had been given as a child. There was something special about the relationship between a mother and her child and Serenity wanted to experience that bond as the parent.

It was over the evening meal one day that Serenity announced her decision. "I have thought long and hard about things and I know beyond any doubt that I can one day rule Hyrule with the same grace and wisdom as my mother, and that I do not need a king by my side. Like my mother before me, I have decided to adopt." This got many surprised murmurs from her advisors and other members of the royal court, but no one openly objected. "This will be a big step for me, and it will be a big change for the royal family, I understand that. But I want to be a mother and there are so many children in Hyrule without homes. The orphanage here in Castle Town houses more than twenty children. If I can give just one of them a home that is filled with love and joy, I will be the happiest queen in the history of Hyrule."

"We support your decision," Zelda declared. "This is an announcement worthy of celebration. A new royal will soon be joining the family, which is how I expect you all to see this," Zelda added, looking at each of the advisors. "The circumstances of the child's birth are irrelevant; they are being adopted into the royal family and they will be treated just the same as any other prince or princess who came before them. Serenity has made her decision, so let it be done. My dear, I wish you nothing but joy and happiness as you begin the journey of motherhood, and I look forward to meeting my grandson or granddaughter."

"Thank-you, mother, and I thank all of you for your support. Tomorrow, I plan on visiting the Castle Town orphanage, and I pray I will get to meet my child at last."

Whatever was beyond nervous, that's what Serenity felt; it also didn't help that each jostle of the carriage made her feel as if she would be sick. What if this was a bad idea? What if all the children hated her? What if she was a terrible mother? Was she rushing into things? Was she even ready; was anyone ever really ready to be a parent? "Mother, I'm starting to have second thoughts. What if this goes horribly wrong?"

"Sweetheart, I don't think anyone is ever truly ready to be a parent; I know I had my doubts. Of course I knew you were meant to be my daughter the moment I saw you, but I had my concerns and fears. Was I doing things right? Would you grow up loving me or resenting me? Was I meant to be a mother? I think all these questions are normal just as much as I believe that there is no such thing as a perfect parent. You will make mistakes; all you can do is learn from them and give each day your all."

It was excellent advice and it was reassuring to know that her mother had experienced the same thoughts when she had taken Serenity in. The rest of the carriage ride was spent in peaceful silence and when they arrived, Serenity was feeling much better about things. "Welcome your majesties," greeted a woman when they exited the carriage. "My name is Lina and I want to thank you both for your visit here today."

"The pleasure is ours," Zelda returned cordially. "We would be very interested in a tour, if you do not mind." Lina agreed happily and they were taken inside the orphanage. It was a two story building and while it was clean, everything appeared old and worn out. Some children, all various ages, watched them curiously while other children ran and hid. It was more than overwhelming and she wondered how she could pick just one child and leave the rest here.

"How many children do you have here?" Serenity questioned when they went outside to the fenced in yard. There were several children playing since it was a nice day out and she couldn't count them all. "And how many children was this place built to house?"

"The orphanage was built many, many, years ago and it was meant to support twenty four children, not counting the nursery which has enough room for six cribs. Unfortunately, because of the war, we had quite an increase in children coming to us. Some were temporary until we found their relatives and some were adopted. Babies and toddlers are usually adopted pretty quickly, but it's harder for older children. Right now, we have twenty-two children here, ranging in ages from four to thirteen. Unfortunately, when they turn sixteen, we have to ask them to leave as they are considered adults.

"They are asked to leave even if they have no family, home or support?" Zelda questioned. "How sad; is there nothing that can be done?"

"Believe me your majesty it breaks my heart when it happens," Lina said. "If it were up to me, this place would be empty and every child would be in a loving home where all their needs are met, but unfortunately that doesn't always happen. When a child gets close to being sixteen, I do what I can to help them find a job and I try to send them out with some money and necessities, but it really depends on what I have to give. We rely heavily on donations and those were scarce during the war. Things are getting somewhat better now, but we are still stretched very thin, unfortunately."

"I will see what I can do about that," Serenity said. She turned to one of their guards. "Go back to the palace and tell the chefs to make a big dinner, pack it, and bring it here. Cooked meat, fresh bread, stews; anything they can make on such short notice. I want these children to eat like royalty tonight."

"Yes your highness, it will be done." The guard bowed and left, and when Serenity turned back to Lina, the woman was nearly in tears. Clearly she had not been expecting this and Serenity just smiled.

"Everyone deserves to be treated with kindness," she whispered softly. "And, I think you and these children could use a good meal. Now, Lina, will you introduce me to the children, please?"

"It would be my pleasure your highness; this way." Zelda and Serenity followed Lina over to where a large group of children were playing and they were introduced one by one. Some were very shy while others were bubbly and outgoing; a few even asked if Serenity would play a game of tag with them. Overall, it was an enjoyable day and Serenity and her mother got to know a lot of the children.

With that said, Serenity didn't have peace about moving forward in adopting any of the children she had met. Maybe she was overthinking things, or perhaps she had unrealistic expectations, but she was holding out the hope that she would just know who the right child was when she met them. Around late noon, the palace guards returned in a carriage loaded with food for the children. "We cannot thank you enough your majesties," Lina said as she stared at the food. "Please stay for dinner; I insist." Serenity and Zelda agreed and the whole group decided to eat dinner outside since the weather was still favorable.

All the children were present now and Serenity watched them settle into various groups as they enjoyed their meals. Her heart went out to all of them; even if she didn't adopt, she knew she would be back with things the orphanage needed. "Who is that child?" Zelda speaking got Serenity's attention and she followed her mother's gaze to a little girl who was trying to wrap up her food in a napkin. After a bit of struggling, she got it all and she started going over to a tree.

"That's Sera," Lina answered. "She's one of our youngest children at five years old and honestly, we have had a lot of people interested in adopting her. As you can see, she's a very cute little girl and she is very sweet. The reason she is still here is because of her brother. She's taking him food now. His name is Santos and he's eight. Most families don't want to adopt two children and Santos is very reserved so he hasn't gotten along with anyone who has tried to reach out to him."

As they watched, a boy came down from the tree and sat under it with his sister. She proudly held up the packed dinner and he ruffled her hair before opening the napkin. The two settled under the tree and shared the food. As Serenity watched them, a strong feeling welled up inside her. She had always wanted a sibling and couldn't imagine how they must feel being in this place. They must be terrified at the threat of being separated; if Serenity were in their situation, she wouldn't want to be taken away from her only family either.

They watched the two eat then go play when the food was gone. "Santos and Sera," Serenity whispered to herself, a smile working its way onto her face. "Lina, I think I would like to meet them."

A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter; see you next time!

~Moon White Rose