Aeris spent another morning sitting in the window of their quarters sipping her bitter tea watching the fortress below her come to life as the sun rose above the limestone walls. A book of Gerudo history was perched in her lap, open but forgotten, as she lifted the mug to her lips and wrinkled her nose at the slightly acrid smell.
She took a small sip and swallowed thickly as the bitter taste washed over her tongue. The nausea that came as the drink settled in her stomach was a new development, but she was sure that it was simply her body becoming use to the herbs. She would have to ask Amearu if there was another mixture she could use, maybe something that had a better taste.
A muffled cry drew her attention back to the window, and she smiled as she saw a group of Gerudo loading various goods onto a cart.
It seemed she wasn't the only one excited for the market to open.
After months of hard work and dedication from both the Gerudo and Hylian side of things the market was finally ready to open. Today for the first time in history trade between the Gerudo and all of Hyrule would be open.
"You seem proud of yourself," Aeris hummed as Ganondorf joined her in the window seat.
"Oh, please, you did all the negotiating," She wrinkled her nose as she took another sip from the steaming mug in her hands. "I simply proofread your proposals, oversaw the blueprints, worked with the contractor, and —"
"And you did a fine job," She smiled softly as Ganondorf gave her a lighthearted scowl. "But, are you sure you want to oversee the market today?" He took the end of her braid from where it sat at her side and twirled it between his fingers.
Aeris downed the rest of her tea and tried not to gag as the bits of dried herbs at the bottom lingered in her mouth. "Of course, why wouldn't I?"
He took a moment to look from her braid to her face and she noted the concern in his gaze. "Are you feeling lightheaded again this morning?"
Aeris sighed, alongside the waves of nausea were several bouts of lightheadedness and confusion. Simple side effects of the tea, but Ganondorf had worked himself into a tizzy each time she had so much as wobbled slightly walking across the room.
She smiled softly and handed him the now empty mug and rose to her feet quickly giving a small spin that made her braid twirl around her. "Not at all,"
Her smile faded slightly as the world around her kept spinning even after she had stopped. She reached for the desk just as Ganondorf's arms wrapped around her to help steady her. "Liar,"
"I'm fine," She pressed her hand for her temple and shook her head trying to match the way the ground under her feet seemed to bend and sway. "It will pass, it always does,"
"You should see Amearu, something about this doesn't feel right," His fingers danced along her cheeks and she leaned into his hands.
"I'll be fine," She gave him a weak reassuring smile. "And Nabooru will be with me. If anything happens I'm sure she will haul me straight to Amearu,"
"Please, don't over work yourself," He tightened his grip on her face slightly as she brought her hands up to cup his. "Promise me,"
"I promise," She smiled as the dizziness finally subsided and her feet steadied beneath her. "I'm not a doll you know, or have you forgotten that I was a warrior before you made me your queen,"
He laughed as he let her step away from him. "How could any ever forget the sight of you, teeth bared covered from head to toe in Moblin blood?"
It was her turn to laugh as she stepped behind the privacy screen. Her trial had been one for the books, she must have looked absolutely savage drenched in the sticky black ichor. "I think I'll wear my armor today,"
"Oh?" She eyed the leather where it hung on a mannequin in the corner of the room. "I have rather missed seeing you wearing it to the training grounds,"
Training had been the last thing on her mind recently and her armor laid forgotten and covered in dust.
It was time to change that.
"I'm a bit rusty, but I'm sure the children will enjoy having a new sparing partner," She chuckled softly as Ganondorf snorted.
"Be sure to go easy on them," His voice moved through the room as he made his way to his desk. "We're trying to train the next generation of warriors, not savages,"
She scoffed as she slipped on the leather leggings. "Make up your mind, am I a porcelain doll or a savage?"
"You my dear are a strange mix of both," His pen scratched against paper as he spoke. His next project already in the works. "As beautiful as a doll with the heart of a savage warrior, I could not have chosen a better bride if I tried,"
Her head poked out from behind the screen with her linen shirt half over her shoulders. "Oh please, you pined over me," She finished pulling the skintight shirt over her head. "You actually pined over me," She laughed as he stopped writing to glare at her. "I've had you wrapped around my finger since we were children,"
"That is true," She could still remember the first time their eyes had met that day so many years ago.
"Do you remember the first time you saw me?" She paused with her heart in her throat as his pen stopped moving.
"How could I forget?" He sounded almost wistful as he continued writing. "I thought you were a fairy perched on Urora's shoulder,"
He had told her that before of course, but it was always nice to be reminded that he did remember. "You've never told me what you first thought of me,"
His pen stopped again and Aeris paused as she lifted the unlaced leather breastplate over her head. "I was concerned for you," She heard him set his pen down as she lowered the breastplate over her head. "For years I wondered if you had friends to play with or if you were allowed to even play with the other children,"
"Really?"
"Yes, really," She let the breastplate hang loose against her chest as she crossed her arms. "I even went so far as to pester my mother and Urora with questions about you,"
"It would seem that I was not the only one wrapped around someone's finger since we were children," She rolled her eyes as he chuckled. Of course, he would make a joke of it.
"It would seem so,"
They lapsed into silence as she began to tighten the laces at the side of the breastplate. A sudden hiss of pain left her as she began to tighten the uppermost laces, there was a strange sharp ache in her breasts almost similar to the aches that came along with her cycle, but it was nowhere near time for her cycle.
"Are you alright?" She unlaced the sides of the breastplate and gently rubbed the tender flesh.
"I'm fine, my armor is just a little tighter than I remember,"
She grimaced as he laughed, and she began lacing the sides again, less tightly this time. "I know that feeling,"
"I'm sure you do," She chuckled as she bent to pull her boots on and stepped from behind the screen and wrapped the deep red cloak around her shoulders. She took a quick moment to unwind her hair from the braid and pulled it into a high ponytail.
She crossed the room and leaned to place a quick kiss on Ganondorf's cheek. "Nabooru is waiting for me,"
"Remember you promised to not over work yourself," He leaned back in his chair and brushed a stray strand of hair away from her face.
"I won't," She gave him a soft smile and let her fingers linger along his beard before turning and leaving the room.
- - ┈┈∘┈༒┈∘┈┈ - -
"There you are!" Nabooru called out to Aeris as she exited the gates to the Fortress, the woman was helping one of the other Gerudo merchants set up her stall. She raised one of her hands to wave while a thick carpet was rolled and throw effortlessly over her other shoulder.
Aeris returned the wave and quickly hitched Starlight next to Nabooru's bay gelding. "Sorry, Ganondorf was being overly cautious with me this morning,"
Nabooru handed the rug over to the merchant and turned back to Aeris with her arms crossed. "You got dizzy again this morning didn't you?"
"Only a little," The two of them began a final inspection of the marketplace and offered their help to the few remaining Gerudo who were finishing up their stalls. "It passed quickly, and I assured him that you would personally escort me straight to Amearu if anything happens today,"
The taller woman gave a two fingered salute. "Consider me your personal nursemaid," She chuckled as Aeris rolled her eyes. "King's orders,"
Aeris opened her mouth to retort but a mounted guard came barreling through the canyon with a bright smile on her face. "They're coming!"
- - ┈┈∘┈༒┈∘┈┈ - -
It had taken a moment for the first Hylian to make the journey across the now railed bridge that spanned the gorge. Now, both sides of the gorge were bustling with life and excitement, children and animals wove through the mingled crowds of Gerudo and Hylians creating a melody of life.
Aeris smiled softly as she made her way through the crowd offering her help when she came across anyone required it. She had even settled several disputes that had stemmed from a simple miscommunication. Seeing her hard work and dedication finally come to fruition had her walking on air.
There was absolutely nothing that could make this day any better.
And there was nothing that could dampen her mood.
The sound of a child crying drew her attention away from her thoughts and she scanned the area searching for the source of the sound. The child's distress grew louder the longer she looked, wherever they were obviously scared or in pain and none of the passing crowd seemed to care.
Her search became almost frantic as she rounded an abandoned wagon, the cries were so close yet so far away. She was about to turn away from the wagon when the very tip of a child's shoe caught her eye. She let out a sigh of relief as she knelt down and looked under the wagon to see a small Hylian boy no older than five with tears streaming down his dust covered face huddled behind one of the wheels.
"Hey there," She settled onto her stomach so that she was eye level with the child. "My name is Aeris, what's yours?"
The young boy hiccuped loudly and rubbed his face with pudgy fists smearing more dirt across his face. "Rhys,"
"Rhys, that's a lovely name," She smiled as the boy wrapped his arms around his knees. "Are you hurt Rhys?"
The boy shook his head sending dust flying from his dirty blond hair. "I can't find Mama and Papa,"
Aeris shushed the child as more tears began to well in his pale green eyes. "Do you want me to help you find them?" She extended her hand to him as he nodded slowly. "Alright, well we can't look for them with you under there, now can we?"
"No," He took Aeris's hand and let her help him out from under the wagon.
Once he was back on his feet Aeris dusted him off and hooked her hands under his arms. "Up we go," She lifted him up to rest on her shoulders the same way Urora once had. "Now, where do you remember seeing them last?"
She felt the boy twist on her shoulders scanning the area. "I don't know,"
"Ok then, did you come with a horse?" A horse would be easily found and Identifiable.
"Mm Hmm Colby,"
"Can you tell me what Colby looks like?" She began moving through the crowd half hoping that someone would recognize the child.
"He's brown with a white face,"
"Brown with a white face, alright then," She wound the bustling crowd searching for the horse the boy had described using her hands to keep the boy steady. "Do you see anything up there?"
The boy shifted again before gasping loudly. "Papa!"
Somewhere in the crowd a male voice echoed back. "Rhys!"
The crowd before them parted as a Hylian man pushed his way through desperately trying to reach his son. When the man finally emerged Aeris froze he was tall with broad shoulders and a thin waist. His light brown hair was cropped close to his head but was still long enough to curl around his brow and his eyes were the same shade of brown as his hair.
He took a few steps out of the crowd before freezing much the same way Aeris had and her heart seized as a single word fell from his lips.
"Ahia?"
