A/N: So, there's a little story behind this chapter. I apparently wrote it a year or so ago, and completely forgot about it. I was going through my old stuff and rereading it while trying to remember where to go on some other stories, and found this. Normally when I write little things like this they're incomplete, but this one happened to be finished. :D

It's a small prologue that takes place right before the start of the story, and a little bit at the end between chapters 2 and 3. It also kind of explains why Impa and Sheik didn't know where Mina was when she went "missing" at the start of that chapter (it's totally because he was sleeping and not because I didn't think his character up yet when I wrote that part). XD

I didn't go through and really edit much of it from the version I found, so I apologize if there are any little timing errors. I think I may have goofed up the timing of when the king died in the main story, I have to go back and look...

After a long day of diplomatic paperwork and the usual royal encounters, Queen Zelda returned to her chambers, just barely hiding her exhaustion from the servants she passed in the hallway. When she arrived, she found a little lump wiggling its way through her bed sheets. The lump abruptly squeaked as Zelda sat down on the bed beside it.

"I would have thought all good little critters would be in bed at this hour..."

The blankets on the bed shifted, and a tiny ruffled head popped out from underneath. "But Mommy, I stayed up to wait for you. I wanna sleep in here tonight."

Zelda smiled, and smoothed back her daughter Mina's frazzled strawberry hair. "Okay, baby. But I'm not quite ready for bed yet, so I want you to lay down without me, okay? It's a little late for you to be up."

"Okay, Mommy." Mina nodded as Zelda fluffed up a pillow, and crawled over with one of her dolls. Zelda tucked her daughter in, and set about changing out of her regalia while Mina fell asleep. By the time Zelda had finished, Mina was out like a light.

Zelda left the door to the bedchamber open for peace of mind, and moved to the antechamber where Impa was looking over a report. "The princess's bedroom is linked to yours and yet you don't usually leave that door open, so why do you choose to leave the door open now?"

"Impa, don't tease me about these things," Zelda pouted, sitting on the couch in front of her most trusted companion. "If you had a baby of your own, you'd understand."

"You're forgetting that I raised you as though were my baby," she countered with a smirk. "...I've been looking over the castle itineraries. Everything is in order, with one exception."

Zelda tilted her head. "What are you talking about?"

"This," Impa handed the report to Zelda, and watched as the queen's eyes widened. "It's unfortunately time to begin preparations. Invitations will need to be sent out first and foremost. And as the furthest nation from Castle City-"

Impa was interrupted as Zelda shoved the report back into her hands. Zelda knew this day was coming; the conference was once every decade after all, and ever since the new year, it had been eating away at the back of her mind.

"Zelda, are you okay?" Zelda looked up as Impa touched her shoulder, and saw a concerned Sheikah staring back at her. "I know what you're thinking..."

"Do you?" Zelda bowed her head and stared at her slippers. "I don't even know what I'm thinking. What am I gonna do? What's he gonna do when he finds out?"

Zelda turned toward the bedchamber, making Impa do the same. "What? You're worried he's going to hurt you when he finds out about Mina? Ha! I'll castrate the pig before he even thinks about touching either of you." Impa growled for emphasis. "Don't worry, my dear, he talks tough but he's at the mercy of his sisters. Nabooru has always been on your side, you could request in your invitation that she come as well..."

"No, no I don't want a scene..." Zelda sighed and hung her head. "Maybe Mina should stay inside for the duration of the conference."

"...I don't recommend that," Impa said as she sat beside Zelda and rubbed her shoulders. "This is a limited opportunity for her to learn about the other nations, after all, the next conference is not until she's an adult. She can even take part in the closing ceremony."

At mention of the closing ceremony, Zelda clutched at her abdomen and began sobbing. Impa realized what was happening and pulled Zelda into her arms. "Oh no, honey, I'm sorry, I didn't mean to bring those memories back to light."

Impa cursed herself for causing Zelda to remember what had happened at the previous Hyrule Nations conference. The conference had gone smoothly up until the closing ceremony, despite the prevailing tension that hung in the air over Princess Zelda and Ganondorf's marriage the year before. By the time of the conference, the king of Hyrule had passed on and Zelda assumed the throne, then pregnant with her first child.

During the closing ceremony, an assassin infiltrated the Temple of Time and attacked the queen. Zelda survived the attack but unfortunately lost the baby. It was the beginning of a series of miscarriages and the start of her depression, and what she believed ultimately led to the fighting and Ganondorf leaving her.

"Impa... Do you think he still loves me? He hurt me so badly..." Zelda hugged her nursemaid tightly. While she knew in the back of her mind that she still cared for her estranged husband, she couldn't deny how much he had hurt her by leaving. He tended to favor his work over her needs, ignoring her cries for help, and when they argued he always made it seem like her fault. Of course it was her fault, just like all those nasty rumors that she was barren or that the Goddesses were punishing their unholy union was her fault. Remembering those painful whispers only made Zelda's whimpering increase.

"...My spy network tells me he has remained faithful to you," Impa answered, rubbing Zelda's back. "I have seen a few Gerudo milling about in the city, but they seem to be independent townsfolk who have left the tribe. Ganondorf has spent these last eight years laying low even among his people, so I don't think he would want to start trouble now."

"And he doesn't know about Mina?"

"No, otherwise I believe he would have contacted you." Impa then snorted. "Not a peep in eight years, not even to see how you are doing. Some husband."

Zelda sniffled, and buried her head back into Impa's shoulder. She was rather disappointed in the fact that Ganondorf hadn't sent a single letter in the whole time they had been separated. Not even a note to say happy birthday.

Impa could tell Zelda was beyond stressed, and so she picked her up and headed for the bedchamber. "You are in no shape for further discussion, young lady. We will deal with this another time."

"Impa..."

"No no, you're going to bed. I shouldn't have even brought the conference up at this late hour. Tomorrow you can sleep in, then we'll get everyone's invitations in order. You just focus on curling up with the little princess."

In a flash, Impa had Zelda stuffed in her bed and the candles out before Zelda could even protest. And of course Mina quickly latched on to her mommy in her sleep, so Zelda was defeated. "...Good night, Impa."

"Good night, Your Majesty." With a smile, Impa shut the door and faded from the room.

With the wind blowing in his ears, Ganondorf could just barely make out the sound of footsteps approaching as he sat on the roof of the Gerudo Fortress, watching the citizens milling about below in the Valley. "I came up here to be alone."

"Yeah I know you did, which is why I came up here looking for you," Nabooru grumbled as she crossed the distance to see what he was observing. "You know, if you want to watch the girls doing their chores, they'd be more than happy to let you join in. I can see Lisea from up here, she just had twins and yet she's down there trying to farm."

"Is this what you came up here for?" he growled, turning to glare at his sister.

"No, I came up here because of this," she answered, pulling a white envelope from her sash. When Ganondorf spied his name on the front written in a familiar script, he fell all over himself scrambling to grab it from her hands.

"Give me that!"

Nabooru complied, and smirked as Ganondorf broke the seal. When his eyes went from excited to disappointed, she exerted her sisterly authority. "You're going, end of story."

Ganondorf returned a glare.

"I know what it says, it's an invitation to the Hyrule Nations conference," she said. "You have to go, not only as the King of the Gerudo, but as the Bearer of Power. Plus you need to stop acting like a spoiled deku and apologize to your wife."

That made Ganondorf fume. "Don't make assumptions, Nabooru. You don't know what I-"

The angry stomping of the High Priestess's foot cut Ganondorf's sentence short. "I don't care what you think or what you've been through," Nabooru growled. "Your wife lost a child at the last conference, do you know how much pain it probably caused her to write that invitation?! Not only that, but to write it to her husband who just walked out on her?" Nabooru pulled a fan from her sash and wapped it across her brother's head. "You will go to that conference, apologize to her, and make sure this time it closes without incident. Don't forget how you failed to protect her and the baby!"

Fed up with his sister's nagging, Ganondorf tucked the invitation in his jacket and leapt off the side of the roof, landing on a balcony and withdrawing to his chambers. Once calmed down, he reread the invitation. Nabooru was right, it was for the conference. The language was standard, so Zelda hadn't personalized it any more than necessary, though Ganondorf did notice that her handwriting was somewhat shaky. Zelda normally had impeccable cursive, so she must have been stressed like Nabooru said.

Ganondorf didn't forget their loss at the last conference. Part of the reason he spent less time with the populace was because being around children constantly reminded him of the daughter he lost. He loved Zelda, he still did to this day, but he blamed himself for the miscarriages because he figured they were incompatible.

He had hoped the letter was correspondence so at least they could start talking again, after all he left to give her some space. But after all this time, maybe she didn't want him anymore, he thought.

A knock at the door pulled him from his thoughts. "My lord, a moment?"

"What do you want?"

General Aveil, his second in command, cautiously stuck her head in the room. "Sir, I hate to be a bother, but Her Excellency has asked me to remind you that you need to send a reply-"

"Tell him he has to send it right away and that it has to be his own handwriting. AND NO INSULTS OR SWEARING!" a voice in the hallway interrupted, making both Aveil and Ganondorf roll their eyes.

"-and it needs to be prompt," Aveil finished.

"Is there anything else 'Her Excellency' wants to remind me of while we're gathered here?" Ganondorf snorted. "Or am I allowed to be king again?"

Aveil looked toward the hall where Nabooru had been feeding her lines, but found that she had departed. "I think you're safe, my lord. What is this all about?"

Ganondorf beckoned Aveil into his chambers. "You know I am married to Zelda, though we are separated. I haven't been the best husband, I admit that. Nabooru is on Zelda's side."

"Is there really anything that can be done to fix your relationship, or is the High Priestess just being herself again?" Aveil asked. "She can be very dramatic."

"I can apologize forever, and I can try to change however Zelda wants me to, but I just don't know if we can really fix it," Ganondorf admitted. "I do love her, but I don't know what to do about our conception problems. If she wants children and I can't give them to her, there's nothing I can really do about that, I suppose."

Aveil nodded. "I see. Are you sure the conception problems are your fault?"

Ganondorf shrugged. "No, but the doctor did say Zelda recovered from her attack and should be able to bear more children." He then shook his head. "I don't want to talk about this anymore. You better start packing, you'll be coming with me instead of Nabooru. She'll just cause a scene if I bring her along."

"Yes, sir." Aveil stood and left, leaving Ganondorf at the desk to start his reply.

After the agitated Gerudo King had finally taken the hint and departed Zelda's chambers, Impa threw his headdress to the floor and helped the mentally drained queen to her bed. "You have a busy day tomorrow, get some sleep. I'll be back after I check on the princess."

"Good idea," Zelda said, holding back a yawn. "Do you think... he would...?"

Pulling up blankets, Impa shushed the tired queen. "Don't worry, she's perfectly safe." After putting out all but one lantern, she then passed through the door joining Zelda's chambers with Mina's bedroom. Princess Mina was fast asleep as expected, but the one Impa came to see leapt to his feet as soon as the door opened.

"Easy, young one, it is only me." Impa beckoned for her pupil Sheik to back down. "I have an assignment for you."

Sheik returned his blade to its holder and stood at attention. "Yes, Master Impa?"

"I want you to follow Ganondorf," she ordered. "I can sense him milling about the castle," she explained with a hint of annoyance. "He will know you are following him if you make yourself seen, so keep to the realm of shadow. Stay with him until dawn, go now."

Sheik disappeared in the blink of an eye, understanding he was to report back once his mission was over. He picked up the Gerudo's trail in the hall immediately, and followed it away from the royal chambers back to the throne room where Ganondorf was admiring a large painting of Princess Mina. The painting in question was commissioned for her fifth birthday, and Sheik remembered the commotion it caused. The commotion was almost as great as that of the painting next to it, Zelda's coronation as Queen of Hyrule. Zelda had insisted that Ganondorf be included in the portrait as her husband, to the protestation of every advisor in the castle. Zelda's first order as queen was to silence them.

When Ganondorf was finished in the throne room, Sheik followed him as he took a strange unfocused path through the castle halls. When they arrived at Ganondorf's destination, Sheik understood why- they were now in the castle graveyard, and Ganondorf had deposited himself right in front of Princess Zelda Marie's gravestone.

Sheik hung back and sat on the rampart to give the Gerudo king some privacy. He was just an infant when the queen was attacked, but his older sister told him about the ordeal. She said their master Impa and the Hero caught the assassin, but the Gerudo King blamed himself for the attack and for failing to protect his wife and child. Sheikah are taught not to gossip, but his sister couldn't help herself. She told him that she heard his failure to stop the assassin was one of the reasons Ganondorf left Zelda and returned to Gerudo Valley.

By dawn, Ganondorf hadn't moved from the spot in front of his child's grave. Sheik felt it safe to leave him, and departed to report to Impa. She was waiting outside of the queen's chambers when he arrived.

"Well, Sheik?"

"Master, he's currently in the graveyard paying respects to the departed princess."

Impa raised an eyebrow, surprised from this report. "For how long?"

"He's been there all night, Master," Sheik reported. "After I left you, I followed him to the throne room where he was admiring the portraits. From there, he went to the graveyard."

Shaking her head, she muttered to herself in Sheikah. "Well done, Sheik. You may go get some rest before your duties begin," she said once she was composed. Sheik bowed and headed for his room, with a few hours to go before Mina would be awake.

Impa teleported to the graveyard, and sure enough Ganondorf was sitting in front of his daughter's gravestone.

"...Wasn't the boy doing a good enough job of following me, you had to come yourself?"

Sighing, Impa made herself visible and stepped out of the darkness. "I told him to keep in the shadow realm."

"You think I can't detect a little boy following me using your fancy Sheikah parlor tricks?" Ganondorf stood and faced his visitor. "I had a lot of time to improve my skills. After all, I refuse to let a failure like this happen on my watch again."

"...We all failed that day," Impa admitted, looking to the stone. "So you'll understand why I am being extra cautious this time, and making sure you aren't doing anything to bring harm to the queen or her daughter."

Ganondorf sneered and turned back to face the gravestone. "I just spent the entire night lamenting the fact that I let one daughter get killed, and through my own arrogance missed watching the other grow up. What in the name of the Three Golden Goddesses makes you think that I would bring harm to her or the woman who gave birth to her?!"

"Perhaps the fact that you ignored her in times of great need, argued with her over petty nonsense, and then vanished without contact for eight years?"

"Do my feelings in this matter have any weight at all? I'm tired of taking all the blame," he growled in response. "At least the boy had the decency to let me mourn in peace."

"What do you mean by that?" Impa pressed, insulted that he blamed Zelda.

Ganondorf huffed. "So I didn't write in eight years. Neither did you or Zelda. Not one 'happy birthday' or 'hey, come see your daughter' card."

"She was worried you'd-"

"Yeah yeah, 'hurt the kid', I've heard it before." Ganondorf shook his head. "Since I can't mourn in peace, I might as well return to my camp." Sending one final glare Impa's way, Ganondorf stomped out through the gate toward the camps set up in the castle courtyards.

Impa hurried back to Zelda's chambers, late for morning preparations. The morning mass at the Temple of Time was due to start soon, and they would have to teleport there to make it on time if the maids had not already started dressing Zelda. Impa just hoped that Ganondorf behaved himself during this conference, otherwise they were headed for another disaster.