Chapter Text
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It turns out that letting that guard have his way wasn't the best of decisions.
Word got out that Sidon had loosened the reins on the matter and people took it as a go-ahead to do as they pleased. The prince had to spend the next few days herding them back in line. The investigation was in a constant state of chaos and confusion.
At the end of the week Sidon was running on nothing but determination, having not been able to either eat or rest properly for days.
Finally one morning he got a look at himself in his dressing room mirror, scales and fins in a sorry state of disarray, and decided that enough was enough. Today he would skip court and just go for a swim.
Leaving unnoticed was harder than expected. When he was a child he had a lot of secret paths to sneak out of the royal quarters whenever Muzu’s lessons grew too tiring. None of them would fit him now. In the end he chose to simply wait until the coast was clear and dive straight out of his bedroom window and into the lake below. By quickly swimming down into darker waters he could pass by undetected.
While swimming down the river he caught some fish and decided to sit down at the bottom below a waterfall to eat. For the first time in a while he had a moment to think things over.
His conscience and his heart had been battling each other ever since he last saw Link. Slowly he had managed to convince himself that it probably would be acceptable to show Link the circles, just as a friend. Of course he would have to explain first that this was something that was usually not allowed, but surely for the savior of all the lands it was proper to make an exception. Right? Right. Surely...
Sidon should probably keep his plans on the down low though. Father might be persuadable, but telling him might risk Muzu hearing about it. He would undoubtedly not accept it.
Sidon was looking forward to it, seeing Link in the veiled lights of the caves, sharing the history of his family with him and maybe if Sidon was brave and lucky enough something more…
The image of Link in that revealing outfit from before resurfaced in Sidons mind. Oh, how he had longed to touch and taste Link’s skin. He had a faint idea of how it would taste from the time when Link rode on his back to free Vah Ruta. It was something unlike any zora, much richer and sweeter. Like almonds or birch wood. When they swam together Link’s scent had spread in the water and Sidon had been forced to keep his head over the surface to not lose focus during their dangerous task. As soon as Link was heading into the divine beast Sidon had sunk below to breathe in that lingering scent. He could almost taste it now, just thinking about it.
…
It was awfully convincing this imagined scent…
Sidon left his perch under the bubbles of the waterfall and swam up it. The scent got stronger at the top. He felt his heart racing, he couldn't be mistaken, this was Link’s smell. He was somewhere close.
Following the scent Sidon spotted two white feet buried in the sand at the edge of the river, not far away. As soon as he came close Sidon did a jubilant flip out of the water and landed next to Link on the shore. The small hylian was laughing beautifully.
“Aw! Come on! You splashed me!” Link jokingly waved his fist in the air, as if Sidon had wronged him deeply. Sidon smiled before joining in the joke by clasping his face as if he was appalled by his own actions.
“Oh no! Link! I did not know Hylians were so weak to water. How will I live after having harmed my dearest friend so horribly.” Playing along earned Sidon beautiful pearls of laughter and a punch on the arm from Link.
“Who are you calling weak?” Link’s anger was wholly unbelievable as he was still smiling brightly. With a small chuckle he turned his attention to the object in his hands. It was the device that activated shrines, the Sheikah slate. Apparently going back to what he had been doing before Sidon arrived Link tapped a small icon on the screen. He carefully aimed the slate at a spot in the middle of the river, stepping back into the water as he angled his arms up and to the sides seemingly to reach at something.
Sidon watched his actions intensely from over Link's shoulder, aching to grab hold of him now when he was so close.
“Pray tell, what are you doing?” Sidon asked and Link's ears twitched before he abruptly turned around to face the prince. Sidon tucked his hands away to prevent them from betraying him. Link was so close that the height difference between them became really obvious. Sidon felt his heart beating against his ribs. It would be really easy to catch the small hylian right now, he was right there, trapped between Sidon and the water. Stay princely, proper manner please, Sidon chanted in his head.
Link broke the silence.
“I'm trying to get that chest on the bottom of the river. Do you see it?” He turned back towards the water and pointed at a metallic object that was half buried on the bottom of the river. Sidon cracked a pleased smile, he could help with that, no problem.
“You are using the slate to get it? I could just get it for you” He was halfway there, water to his waist when Link called out after him.
“No no, it's fine! It's not that important. I'll get it later.” The hero sounded embarrassed. Sidon put his hands to his hips, that was nothing to be ashamed of, no one expected a Hylian to be able to go underwater as easily as a zora.
A stitch of alarm ripped through him. Hylians don’t go underwater. They need air.
“You know, I didn't think of this before. You can't breathe underwater.” Sidon uttered with a hand over his mouth in contemplation. He hadn’t even thought of that.
Link only peered at him confusedly from the riverbank.
“Ehh… No, Hylians generally can't do that.”
“You will need to when we go to the circles.” Sidon felt a cold lump of loss forming inside him. Serves him right for getting his hopes up without thinking anything through...
“Oh.” A disappointed sound. At first Sidon didn’t realise that it was Link that made it and not the prince himself. The small warrior looked crestfallen, as if something precious had been taken from him. Sidon was suddenly filled with protective indignation. Link did not deserve this! How could something as insignificant air come between them? But just as quickly as his rage had sparked a flash of remembrance hit him. A stroke of genius really.
“We can still go though!” The words came tumbling out of him.
“We will just have to get you a zora tunic.” Surely no-one would care if he took it, right?
“It would let you stay underwater for as long as you like.” It would be fine if it was for Link, it was meant for a hylian hero anyway, right?
“I'm pretty sure there is one among the ancient relics.” It wouldn’t fit a zora anyhow. It’s better if it gets used, right?
“I can send it to Dento to have it refitted.” Dento wouldn't tell. He’d understand, Right? Right?
This was lunacy, but Sidon had no way of stopping himself. He found himself closing the distance as he spoke and soon loomed over the hylian who had cast his eyes down in hesitation.
“You don't have to do that... just for me to be able to see the circles… It's to much.” Sidon fell to his knees so that he could look at Link’s face. The uncertain look in his eyes had Sidon’s heart tensing in his chest. His hands moved on their own accord to wrap around Link’s forearms and he could feel the muscles beneath that intoxicatingly soft skin jump in surprise.
“No, it's not.” Sidon’s heart was racing. Right now, when he had Link’s wonderful sky blue eyes on him, he felt ready to do anything. “Please let me.”
It was possibly the most foolish idea the prince had ever had, but when Link’s lips quirked into a thankful smile Sidon felt his last slivers of doubt vanquished. There is no regretting a bad dive before you’ve even hit the water, right?
Right?
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The rest of the day Sidon’s nerves were in a sorry mess of guilt and anticipation. He felt torn apart. On one hand the joy he felt over soon having Link accompany him down to the circles had his whole body buzzing with energy. But on the other hand he was weighed down by a constant blanket of dread over the situation he had put himself in. At every point he had made the situation worse. By this point he was sure to lose not just Link but also the respect of many of his subjects.
This sorry mess was not the least bit princely he told himself as he nervously skulked down the dark corridor that lead from the royal sleeping quarters to the vaults after the rest of the domain had gone to bed.
He really should know better he chastised himself as he hurriedly stuffed the antique tunic into a leather bag.
Muzu would have my head if he knew echoed inside his head as he lay awake in his room, staring at the bag that was mocking him from the edge of his pool.
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It was with sullenly drooping fins that Sidon entered Dento's workshop the next morning. At first the elderly blacksmith only greeted him with a courteous nod, but when Sidon sat down beside him and he got a closer look at the prince he put his hammer down with a concerned expression.
"My prince, what happened? You look like you haven't slept for days." Sidon rubbed his eyes tiredly. How long had it been since he had a full night's sleep?
"Truly the incident at the circles has taken a toll on me. But I come to you in a more private matter." Dento nodded for him to continue.
"I have a favor to ask of you, and I wish you would keep it a secret. Could you do that for me?" Sidon leaned forward to look the elder in the eye. He peered back with suspicion.
"Well that depends on what you ask of me, doesn't it? I might be fond of you but I wouldn't do just anything." He said, and then added "My prince." as if that made any difference.
Sidon had not expected this to be easy.
How would he explain this without making it sound like the outrageous scandal that it was?
“You know Link, don’t you?” He started hesitantly.
“Yes, the hylian hero. He brings me materials.” Dento nodded, and gestured to a glimmering lump of ore on his workbench. Sidon loosened his tense grip on the leather bag.
“I have a garment here that I would like you to refit to his size…” The blue fabric of the tunic pooled onto his lap.
“And why, young Prince, is this something that has to be kept secret?” Dento asked suspiciously. Sidon’s gills flattened down in dread. This was it, wasn’t it? Just take the leap.
“It's an ancient artifact... and I might not have asked permission to take it...” Dento made a surprised huff.
“The bachelor prince is stealing now? Where has the world gone?” Sidon turned to look at him in horror. Was his reputation already tarnished this badly? But the old zora was smiling at him, a teasing glint in his eyes.
“Don’t mock me Dento! This has kept me up all night! My bad conscience is killing me.” Sidon exclaimed with indignation, one hand over his heart, but the blacksmith only laughed and waved a wrinkled hand at him.
“It is just a scrap of fabric my prince, no one will care.” Sidon shook his head vigorously.
“Many will care! Muzu will never forgive me.” Dento scratched at his chin and smacked his lips.
“Muzu never forgives anyone… No matter how slight the fault was… You would think he’d grown out of that pettiness by now. He is older than I am. But you know what they say…” Dento smiled mischievously, daring him to join in. This was a zora joke that Sidon usually stayed out of, too wary of his teacher’s ever watchful eye to ever mock him. But Muzu wasn’t here now, and he wanted Dento on his side.
“Little rays of trouble.” Sidon croaked and Dento erupted into hissing laughter, slapping at the table.
“Didn’t think you had it in you. You should have seen your face, like a plaice under a rock.” He was still laughing. Sidon rolled his eyes.
“So, will you alter the tunic for me?” He pushed on. Dento shook his head from side to side like it was a matter of little importance.
“Yeah yeah, I will. Don’t worry about it.”
Sidon left the workshop feeling a little lighter. But just as he was passing out the door the old blacksmith called after him jovially.
“Good luck with the hero, my prince!” Sidon fled without as much as a look back and with his heart in his throat.
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