The Gerudo cherished life above all else. Every single life was precious and they mourned every loss as a whole. As the news of the loss of their future princess made its way through the limestone halls of the fortress a dark cloud fell over the desert.

Aeris was never alone these days, either Nabooru or Urora kept a constant vigil over her, making sure she ate and slept as she should during the day. While Ganondorf held her through the night, sometimes so tightly it pulled all the air from her lungs. She didn't mind though, having him close was a comfort and she knew that it was helping him through the pain he was feeling as well.

It was rare for her to be seen outside of her chambers, but when she did emerge with Nabooru or Urora in tow the Gerudo they encountered regarded her with silent concern and compassion. They cared greatly for her both as one of them and their queen.

The days Aeris made the trip to the healer were the worst though. She could feel the eyes of everyone around her following her as she passed. They knew where she was going and they knew why.

"Aeris," Nabooru placed a gentle hand on the smaller woman's arm pulling her from her dark thoughts. "Come on we're going to be late,"

They rounded a corner and the faint smells of various herbs and medicines became noticeable. Aeris hated the smells. They burned her nose and gave her a headache, but her trips to the healer were necessary.

An excited cry echoed down the hall and Aeris's heart sank to her toes as a young Gerudo rounded a corner with a smile nearly splitting her face in two.

The girl's face fell as she spotted Aeris and Nabooru. She hung her head and kept her eyes averted from Aeris's.

"Exciting news?" Aeris bit back the rage that had bubbled up into her chest.

"Yes," The girl whispered as she fidgeted for a moment clearly uncomfortable. "I'm sorry, I—"

"No," Aeris took the girl's hands into her own and smiled at her softly. "Be happy, go and share your news,"

The girl's smile returned and she brought Aeris into a tight embrace before darting down the hall and disappearing around a corner.

"That was a good step," Nabooru sounded hopeful as she gently guided Aeris toward the healer's chamber.

"I know,"

Amearu was waiting for them outside of her door as they approached. The elderly Gerudo held an air of grace and beauty that only years of working with delicate mixtures of herbs and tonics could bestow. "How are you feeling today?"

Aeris's care was passed from Nabooru to Amearu and she allowed herself to be guided into the room Amearu used to practice her craft. It was one of the few rooms in the Fortress with multiple windows, allowing a nice cool breeze to sweep through the room. Various herbs in varying stages of dehydration were hanging from the ceiling and incense was always burning.

She was led to a low table surrounded by plush pillows and she lowered herself onto one of them as the healer poured a cup of tea.

"Fine,"

The older woman sighed heavily. "Are we going to keep playing this game?" She placed a steaming cup in front of Aeris and seated herself across from her.

Aeris shrugged as she idly stirred the liquid in the cup before her.

"Depends,"

"Well then," Amearu leaned heavily against the table. "We might as well start with the big question. Have you resumed certain activities?"

"I'm not on bed rest anymore," Aeris sipped the amber liquid, it had an airy calming taste.

Amearu sighed and sat her own cup down on the table. "Sex, Aeris. Have you had sex yet?"

The younger woman choked as an image of heated kisses being pressed against her stomach flashed through her mind.

"I'll take that as a yes," The older Gerudo chuckled lightly. "Any anxiety from that?"

"N-no," She composed herself and tried to wipe away the tea that had spilled from her nose. "It was hard at first though, I didn't want him to touch me," She bowed her head in shame as she spoke.

"That's a perfectly normal reaction." The elder Gerudo smiled softly. "Now, are you ready to start trying again?"

Aeris's breath caught in her chest. Was she? Would she ever be?

"I have to be," It was her duty as queen to produce at least one viable heir.

"Good," Amearu rose from her seat and began digging through one of several cabinets full of vials. "Now, it took me a while to find a combination of herbs that should help you. I ended up having to reach out to a Hylian midwife, is that the term?"

Aeris nodded as the woman turned to her with a questioning glance.

"Anyway, apparently it's perfectly normal for Hylians to struggle when it comes to conception. It can often take years before a couple is successful," The healer finally pulled a small box from the cabinet and turned back to Aeris. "This is nettle leaf, wildberry leaf, and oat straw. Drink a cup up this tea every night and it should help move the process along,"

Aeris took the box and stared at it. "Thank you," She rose from her seat at the low table and bowed to the older woman. "When do you want to see me again?"

"No more scheduled visits," Amearu smiled mischievously. "You'll know when it's time to come and see me again," Aeris blushed as she was pushed toward the door and out into the hallway.

She rotated the box in her hands slowly as the door was closed behind her. Was it really that simple? A few herbs could fix all of her problems? Or was it more of a mental thing, something simply meant to make her feel better?

She sighed deeply and looked up to take in her surroundings. Nabooru was gone, not that Aeris needed her there. She was an adult more than capable of walking herself back to her room, but there was something comforting about knowing that she wasn't alone.

The sound of footsteps approaching drew her attention away from the box in her hands. She lifted her gaze from the box and met Ganondorf's eyes as he rounded the corner. He froze as he saw her, he was wearing his leather armor and his hair was pulled back into a loose bun. He had likely come from the training grounds, but why was he in this part of the fortress?

"I-," He took a step toward her. "I told Nabooru that I would walk you back today, is that alright?"

She smiled softly. "As if you needed to ask," She tucked the box against her chest and extended her free hand to him.

He took her hand gently and linked their arms together and slowly led her back through the halls toward their room. "Are you sick?"

She looked up to see him eyeing the box in her hand curiously and laughed softly. "No." She opened the lid to show him the dried herbs inside. "These are supposed to help-" She stopped unsure of how to finish her sentence. "Help us have a baby,"

He stopped dead in his tracks and looked down at her slowly. "Are you ready for that?" He knelt down so that they were eye to eye. "I don't want to move too quickly, we can wait for things to happen naturally,"

She kissed the end of his nose softly. "I'm ready," She closed the box and tucked it back under her arm. "Besides, Amearu said it could still take a while even with these,"

Aeris let out a startled shriek as she was suddenly lifted into the air and spun in a circle. She was silenced by his lips engulfing hers in a passionate kiss. When he pulled away he took a moment to simply look into her eyes and smile, these moments were slowly becoming few and far between. Moments where he could just take her in and remember why he had fallen in love with her.

Her laughter filled the air as he playfully threw her over his shoulder and began the journey to their room. He smiled softly to himself and reminded himself that he would do anything to hear that laughter again.