A terrified, pained scream rang out in the silent, gray air of dawn, bouncing off the high stone walls of the castle. Birds fled the courtyard as another terrible screech echoed into the quiet morning sky.

"She's bleeding too much!"

"Where is the doctor?"

"Go get him! Hurry!"

Nayru…

"There he is!"

"Can you do something?"

Merciful Nayru…

Tears rolled down her cheeks as pain tore through her body like a wild beast, ripping her to pieces while she still breathed. She didn't know if she could bear it. She didn't know if she could last long enough…

"Make way!"

Their voices seemed to be so far away now.

Please forgive my doubts…

Everything was silent. She saw them move; saw their lips moving, mouthing words, but she didn't hear a thing. A thin black veil fell over her eyes, thickening with each waking moment, turning people into mere shadows dancing before her as she desperately tried to stay awake.

Save us…

As everything became dark, a mournful cry shattered the heavy silence that had fallen over her, Something, someone started to cry in the distance, the heartbreaking sound growing louder and louder until she felt her head was going to explode. She could hear whispers around her now. They begged her to wake up, prayed to the Goddesses for her to open her eyes. She wanted to obey, but her eyelids were so heavy…

"Princess… Please…"

With enormous efforts, Zelda's eyes finally fluttered open. Faces were bent over her, a worried gleam in their eyes, but they said nothing as the princess' eyes passed over them as if they were not there. She opened her mouth. Her tongue was as dry as dirt, her throat parched. She tried to speak nonetheless.

"What – "

A voice cut her off.

"It's a girl, your Highness."

'Hylians. They scurry. Scurry about. Like rats.'

A sneering Ganondorf disdainfully watched the servants as they ran up and down the hallways in an uptight frenzy. Zelda may be giving birth to that which would be the key to his victory, but he couldn't care less right now. It had been months since the Hero's disappearance. Each day that had passed by since then had seen his mood darken and his chance thin as his servants failed to find the boy. His gaze rose to the high stone ceiling as he tried to ignore the clamor of voices and shouts, of exclamations and screams. He retired deep inside himself, where everything was silence, if only for a minute, if only for a second. He remembered his first child's birth, although he had been barely fifteen at the time. A daughter, of course. She had grown up to be quite the warrior. But she had been muredered by a squad of patrolling royal guards. Stabbed her in the back, like the cowards they were. His face contorted in anger as he allowed, perhaps involuntarily, a flash of pain to cross his eyes, but he quickly schooled his features back into an impenetrable expression.

"My Lord."

Ganondorf drew his gaze from the stone arches of the ceiling to look down at the young servant girl who had interrupted his thoughts. She stood in front of him with her back straight, looking directly into his eyes without fear. He chuckled internally.

'Bold, foolish little creature…' he thought darkly.

"The child is born, milord."

Zelda woke up to the cry of an infant. She squeezed her eyelids tighter shut, hoping the child would calm down soon. However, her eyes fluttered open when she heard a familiar voice speak in hushed tones:

"Hush, child," Enia's voice said somewhat urgently. "Your mother is asleep."

The princess opened her mouth to speak. Even though her body screamed for her to fall back into sleep, she willed a single word out of her throat.

"Enia…?"

Her voice had barely been audible over the crying child's screams, yet Enia jumped slightly and whirled around to face the princess.

"P-Princess?" She whispered incredulously, and she seemed to forget about the weeping infant in the cradle next to her. "Zelda!"

The maid ran to the chair that had been placed next to the bed, taking one of the princess' hand in hers and wiping from her cheeks tears of relief. The baby was still shouting herself hoarse, but Enia didn't seem to hear it anymore

"Princess, I'm so glad!" Cried the maid as she patted the other woman's hand frantically. "You slept for so long! Almost two whole days!"

Zelda ignored her maid's idle chit-chat. The sorrow she was hearing in the child's voice was breaking her heart, and she only wanted to hold her close and never let her go.

"Enia…"

"The doctor said you might die!" The maid cried, ignoring the princess. "He said that – "

"ENIA!"

The shout rang out into the royal bedroom, and the maid fell silent, staring at Zelda with wide eyes. The princess was panting, her energy already drained by her effusion. The child's cry grew even louder at the outburst.

"I want… to see… her," Zelda stuttered, willing her body to last if only a little bit longer.

Without a word, Enia made her way to the cradle at the foot of the bed, and carefully lifted a little bundle of blanket from the crib. The cries eased, replaced by a soft whimpering. The sound of birds chirping could now be heard outside.

"Your daughter is healthy and well, princess," the maid said quietly as she placed the small child in her mother's arms.

Her daughter.

The words echoed in Zelda's mind as she reclined in the pillow behind her, already feeling somewhat reinvigorated by the child in her arms. They were strange, foreign, yet they felt familiar, as if they had always been spoken. The child finally fell silent as her mother's eyes settled on her for the first time, and Zelda's breath hitched in her throat. The baby had a head of thick red hair, and her skin was as black as coal. The eyes staring up at the princess were two pools of molten gold. Despite her daughter's appearance, Zelda felt an irresistible wave of motherly love wash over her, and a tender but sad smile graced her lips. She could only pray that her daughter only resembled Ganondorf on the outside, and that, on the inside, she would be her mother's likeness. Without looking away from the child in her arms, the princess spoke:

"Has Ganondorf seen her already?" She asked.

"He hasn't, Your Highness," replied Enia, who had been sitting quietly next to the princess' bed. "I suppose he knows you are awake by now, and that he will soon come."

Zelda squeezed her eyes shut as her grip tightened slightly upon her daughter. As the child whimpered in protest, the princess quickly loosened her embrace with a panicked gasp.

"I believe he will, indeed," Zelda whispered as she gently touched her daughter's cheek in silent apology.

When she looked up at her maid and friend, the older woman could see the distress shining in the princess' eyes.

"I wish I could help you," Enia breathed, as if for herself. "You're the only thing that prevents me from running away. If only…"

A deep voice cut her off, and Zelda felt a shiver run up her spine as it boomed through the room.

"As touching as this may be, I fear I will have to interrupt."

Ganondorf stepped into the room, his gaze immediately settling on the infant in his wife's arms. A wicked smirk settled on his lips as he took in the child's appearance. Without looking at her, he waved his hand dismissively at Enia.

"Leave us," he snapped.

Zelda shot her maid a pleading look, yet she knew Enia could not disobey. With a stiff curtsy, the maid slammed the door shut as she left the royal quarters. Ganondorf eyes finally rose to Zelda's face, and the princess forced herself not to look away. When the Dark Lord stepped closer, the princess voice rose, and he stopped dead in his tracks.

"Don't touch her," she snapped.

The young woman had twisted her body so that she shielded her daughter from the Dark Lord's gaze. His smirk widened at the attempt, and he stepped forward once more. His hand rose before she could speak again, and dark tendrils lashed out from thin air, pinning the young woman down on the bed. The baby fell in her mother's lap and started to cry at the rough impact.

"No!" Zelda cried as Ganondorf came to loom over her. "You-"

"Be quiet, my dear," the Gerudo whispered in a velvety voice.

With a wave of his hand, she found herself unable to speak anymore. A silent scream escaped her throat as the Dark Lord scooped the crying infant up with a single hand. A devious flame lit up in his eyes as he examined the now silent baby.

"What an exquisite little creature, is she not?" He whispered. "It is good to see you were able to bear me a daughter; a son would have threatened my eternal rule over this land."

The princess had stopped struggling. She glared dagger at her smirking husband as he put the child back down on the bed. The infant stayed silent, staring up at the intimidating Gerudo.

"Now," he started as he turned away. "Hold your end of the bargain, princess, or you know what will happen to this precious little thing."

His voice trailed off as he left the chambers, and his spell broke when the door closed behind his back. Zelda reached for her child as soon as she could move, quickly scooping her up and cradling her against her chest. The infant only stared up at her mother with wide golden eyes as tears welled in the princess' eyes, but the young woman shook her head, refusing to let her tears flow. A fresh spring wind blew through the open window, and Zelda once again stared down at her child.

"I should never have brought you into this world," the princess began softly, trying to convince herself. "Your father is an horrible monster, and I… I am weak. I cannot protect you. How selfish must I be to favor the life of my own daughter over the well-being of my people? Am I as cruel as him now?"

Her words had rang unsure, empty, as if they had not been her own. And despite all the dark thoughts that ran through her mind now, she knew she would never be able to leave her daughter. Even in death.