Chapter Text
“Link, is that garment for me?” Zelda smiles as Link returns to the Gerudo Canyon Stable—back from the Kara Kara Bazaar, new outfit in hand.
Link points to Gerudo Town and gestures to himself, he really ought to learn sign soon.
“Oh, I understand. Before I was going to suggest you wait outside, but with the Yiga so close it makes sense for you to follow” Zelda continued braiding her white mare's hair. Link grabbed a warm safflina from the dry ground and tucked it into the braid.
It’s been three months since Ganon was sealed. Three months of constant traveling to protect Queen Zelda as they cleared out the remaining Divine beasts, recruited Hylians to restore castle town, and built new trade alliances. It had been a week since he’d last found an excuse to sneak off to Sidon, and he knew despite her silence Zelda was starting to get suspicious of his late-night rendezvous.
After Link cooked them brunch, they set out for Gerudo Town. To speed up the walk Link tried to catch them a Sand Seal, but his queen laughed and refused “Link, I am the Queen now, I must look presentable to the people. What will they think of me when I show up with hair full of sand and bruises everywhere from falling?”.
Royalty… everything was about appearance. Link couldn’t count how many times he’d heard that sentence, slightly rearranged by Sidon “You can’t bite me, what would my people say?” “I can’t accept Gerudo jewelry as a gift, what would my people say? But who was he to judge? Appearances mattered so much to Link that he’d practically lost his ability to speak, and he is actively lying about his identity to his soulmate.
The sun began to rise and the temperature along with it. At his side, Zelda reached into her Hylian shield embroidered satchel and stopped walking. Link turned to see a befuddled face.
“I can be so foolish at times, I didn’t label any potions” Zelda pouted. Link raised a brow, why would they need labels when the Chilly Elixir is the only blue brew in the bag? Link grabbed the potion and handed it to Zelda.
The queen's eyes widened as she looked at the potion, then at him, then the potion, then at him. Perhaps Zelda wasn’t used to the heat and that made her act funny? Not that she wasn’t a strange character, it’s hard not to be after 100 years of isolation. She’s much quieter now, even with his few remembrances, he missed the fiery girl.
Zelda moved on from her starstuckness and gulped the elixir down along with Link. Before midday, they made it to the desert capital. Link had already changed into his new feminine outfit along the way so they were let into the Gerudo’s home with no problem, only a knowing glare from a guard that made Link feel shameless.
Link waved as they passed the little children, who looked in awe of the beauty of Zelda, her cascading blonde tresses were something foreign to almost every race. Besides his eyes, golden hair was Sidon’s favorite feature of his.
Link tripped on the stairs leading to the throne room. It seemed like every other thought he had led to Sidon these days, and it was really biting his sense of awareness.
Upon seeing them, Riju swiftly raised her slumped head. The girl's posture shifted to something more regal, Link got the impression that the girl looked up to the Hylian queen. “Ah! Champion and Queen Zelda. What do I owe this visit for?”.
Zelda bowed, and Link followed “I wanted to discuss Hyrule and the Gerudo starting a trade once again.”
“Hmmm… You need oil, correct?” Riju grinned.
Zelda sighs “Everyone knows about the Lurelin proposal by now, don’t they?”
“Not everyone, but everyone that matters in the oil trade does” The little chief climbs down her adult-sized throne with an added wooden stepping stool.
Zelda’s eyes burned with passion “It’s a horrible royal tradition, marrying someone who’s not your soulmate and lying about it to the world for politics. I feel no shame in not wedding the lurelin Chief. Even if it limits fuel trade options, I doubt Hylia will let a nation prosper if it’s built on lies”.
Riju picked up a scroll and began unfolding the records “I suppose I don’t count my blessing of being young enough to evade political proposals. I think we have some oil to spare in exchange for lumber”.
“That would be more than acceptable, Chief Riju” Zelda smiled and bowed to the girl.
Riju bowed in return and returned to her high chair throne “Excellent, I’m sure if this trade goes well over the next few months, the council will approve expanded trade options between our kingdoms. It may take a day to get the specifics decided with them on the exact amount of exports. I should have a contract ready soon, while that is in the making feel free to stay in the guest suite, I assume you’ll only need one?”
His queen's demure countenance was replaced with a flustered blush “you assumed incorrectly”.
“Oh, my apologies. Don't worry, I have more than one suite!… The rumors of you being soulmates are a common one, with the hero’s spirit and Hylia’s blood always being connected somehow. I suppose you can’t believe everything printed in the rumor mill. Just this last issue was saying that Prince Sidon’s soulmate was a blonde Gerudo! As if the Zora elders would allow that even if being a blonde Gerudo was possible” Riju laughed and Zelda joined in.
Link tapped his queen's shoulder to excuse himself and as soon as he was out of view ran to throw up.
That night Link teleports to the shrine of Zora’s Domain. He quickly changes into his Zora armor before heading out. The Domain looks truly alive in the night, bioluminescence at every corner, young adults drinking and dancing, shops closing down, baby Zora trying to sneak out of their swimming pools. Ever since the calamity ended, everyone’s been in a honeymoon phase of bliss. Especially the Zora, who surrounded him before he could even pass Mipha’s statue.
“Master Link!”
“The Hero has returned!”
Link gave a feigned smile and nodded to all the Zora who greeted him. When he finally made it out of the crowd to the curved stairways, a little Zora grabbed ahold on his leg.
“Mr. Hero, since you're chosen by Hylia you probably know a lot. The Prince Sidon fan club has got to know if you know who Sidon’s soulmate is! You are best friends right?” Her big puppy eyes pleaded.
Link cleared his throat “…what do you know?”
“All we know is that the Prince met his soulmate and won’t tell anyone who it is. But Gaddison said that she saw Sidon with a Gerudo girl near the mountains a while ago, so we have to believe it’s her. That’s all we know and the club is going crazy! One member tried to run away to Gerudo town to find the girl and give her a shovel talk. What do you know about her?”
Link thought he had more time. There was always a valid excuse until there wasn’t and then a new one came up. But half of Hyrule knew a lie.
Link swore under his breath just fair enough for the child not to hear “Where’s Sidon?”
“In a meeting with the elders, it’s probably about the Gerudo girl. Hey! Since I told you all that—go see what the elders are saying and tell me after!”
Link ran up the stairs, and hid behind a pillar to see Sidon standing in the middle of the throne room facing his father and Muzu.
King Dorephan stands slightly less tall than Link remembered “Do you think it is wise that we start building a court on Mount Polymus Sidon?”
Sidon nods “Yes, not only would it honor Mipha, it would help bring tourism-“
“Yes, because your main concern is tourists and not your people,” Muzu glowers.
The king sighs “What are you trying to imply Muzu?”
“Are we really not going to discuss the elephant in the domain?” The advisor nags.
“What elephant? Vah Ruta has been disposed of” Sidon snickers.
“Boy, with your father's health, I would take this matter much more seriously! You could be King any day now, and you sneak out of the domain for what you think is love, instead of your duty. Real love-“
A commanding voice leaves the great whale “Muzu! Enough!”
The smallest Zora instantly settles. The echo still lingers across the chambers. A shiver goes down the champion's spine.
He examines Dorephan, the large king unable to move due to his size. Would Sidon be resigned to that one day? Not that Link would ever see it, even if he made it to one hundred, Sidon wouldn’t even be middle-aged yet.
“Sidon, I believe that marrying a Zora would be much easier for you. You will face more than a lot of challenges, with heirs, politics, and cultural differences. But it’s not up to me to decide that… Muzu is right, I may not have much time left, you have to make the best decision for your people and yourself. Not about what Muzu or I want”.
He’s never seen Sidon cry before. He felt himself tear up as his lover went to embrace his father. As soon as they let go, Muzu spoke up.
“I’m… sorry, Sidon. I forgot you are a man and not a child anymore. I only ask that you consider our concerns”
Sidon runs to the elder and lifts him above the ground up into a hug.
Link does what he does best, runs, runs from the little Zora waiting, runs from his soulmate, runs from responsibility.
At the usual spot, He shamefully changes into his Gerudo garb, the fabrics that once represented freedom feel as though they burn his skin.
Sidon agreed to meet him here every quarter moon. It only took a few hours for the prince to arrive.