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Part 4 of These Moments With You
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2018-02-25
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The Best Reward

Summary:

Shortly after his boyfriend arrives home from Hyrule Castle, Sidon gives Link a gift.

Notes:

Took a bit of a break from editing Ghost to finish this little story up. No angst or sadness in this one - just some cute fluff and Link receiving a special gift from his dear shark prince. :)

Apologies in advance for any and all errors that I've missed!

Work Text:

“Sidon, what was the gift that you had for me?”

The red Zora freezes in his steps, turning around to look at his boyfriend.  As Link smiles at him, Sidon’s cheeks begin to blush, and he swallows. Part of him, a small one, wished that Link had forgotten all about it.

When Link was about to leave the Zora Domain to directly fight Calamity Ganon, Sidon mentioned to the hero that there was a gift waiting for him upon his return. The prince was partially relieved that Link didn’t appear to ‘catch’ what Sidon was implying at the time, but now… he wished he had given it to Link that night before.

Trying to remain calm, Sidon responds.

“Gift?”

Link nods as he raises his hands to sign.

“Yes. You said you had something you wanted to give me when I came back from fighting Ganon.”

“O-Oh, that’s right! I did mention giving you something when you come back, huh?”

The prince lets out a nervous laugh while scratching a large bald spot on his arm. Link had noticed the lack of scales in that specific area since he arrived the previous afternoon, and he signs with a frown on his face.

“What happened to your arm, Sidon? Did you get into a fight?”

Sidon quickly covers the spot on his arm and laughs.

“Oh this? No no no, I am fine! Occasionally, my scales fall out on their own.”

Link raises an eyebrow at that comment.

“In only one spot? I don’t recall ever seeing a bald spot that large on you before…”

“Link, please. Just …trust me on this.”

Sidon reaches out to grab one of his boyfriend’s hands and holds it. With the biggest grin on his face, he lightly tightens his grip.

“Meet me back in my room in around…three hours. I will have it ready for you then.”

Link nods, then leans in to kiss Sidon’s hand before leaving with a smile and a few spoken words.

“I’ll look forward to seeing it.”

Watching his small boyfriend walk away, the Zora stood there for a few seconds before he quickly headed to his room. Upon his arrival, Sidon moved to one of the high shelves that hanged from the wall, and reached to grab a black square box with one of his hands. Slowly opening the box to look at the object inside, the prince took a deep breath. Today is the day. It must be.

He truly thought that he had more time to prepare and make sure that the proposal was just right. Perfect, even. When Link unexpectedly came back to the Zora Domain sooner than expected, a week and a half early, that threw a wrench in his plans.

Sidon wasn’t complaining that Link arrived back at the Domain so soon. He was extremely pleased, and after checking for any new injuries that he should be aware of, the prince was more than happy to show Link how much he missed him.  The prince did find it a bit odd that Link arrived only a few days after he had responded to a letter that Zelda had sent him. The soon-to-be Queen of Hyrule asked if everything at the Domain was okay, and after confirming that it was, Sidon mentioned that he hoped that his dear Link was doing well at the castle. He even added that he looked forward to seeing him again once everything at the palace was taken care of.

The prince didn’t know if Zelda had said anything specific to him, but before he knew it, a few days later he is told by a few of the palace guards that Link had returned. Sidon truthfully thought that they were pulling another prank on him – a part of him was still upset that Bazz had the nerve to trick him into thinking that Link came back a few days prior when he had mentioned to the guard about wanting to propose to Link. The sound of a horse whinnying completely changed everything, and Sidon nearly tripped running to the palace doors, seeing his eternal hero dismount from his horse.

Sidon’s original plan for the proposal was simple, but perfect. The prince had intended to take Link on a romantic date, much more extravagant than what the prince usually plans, and end it by asking for his hand in marriage at the East Reservoir Lake. He had planned to have the entire lake decorated beforehand, with assistance by some of the palace staff and guards. Proposing to Link at the lake seemed to be a fitting idea after all – it was at that location, working together to free Vah Ruta, that Sidon believed it was the start of him falling in love with the hero. If things turned out well that evening, and if the weather was in his favor, he would even take Link on a midnight swim in the lake.

Unfortunately, he will have to scrap that idea, and at least try to focus on the words he wants to say to him. Sure, he could have asked for Link to wait longer but, something in his gut told him that it has to be today. It would be three hours until Link comes back. Hopefully, that will be enough time.

 


             

The closer he approached his boyfriend’s room, the faster Link’s heart pounded inside of his chest. He wasn’t sure why. Sidon just wants to give him a gift, right?  But why did he tell Link to come back in a few hours?  The Zora appeared to be nervous, which was not like him. It can’t be because the gift wasn’t ready – Sidon had originally planned to give it to him on his last visit. Maybe the original gift was ruined, and the prince didn’t have the time to get something else, due to Link’s sudden arrival?  Although that was a possibility, something inside told Link that wasn’t the case.

Of course, the Hylian did briefly consider that Sidon was going to propose to him, but he felt that there was a very low chance of that happening.

He ran into Bazz on his way to Sidon’s room, and noticed that he was smiling at him like he “knew something that Link didn’t”. And the captain of the guards wasn’t the only one in the palace that acted that way, either. Some of the other staff members in the palace would giggle as they looked at him, and even King Dorephan had a suspicious grin on his face when he greeted Link earlier in the day.

Something was up.

For a moment, Link briefly wondered if perhaps Zelda knew about it, but he doesn’t think that’s possible. It was most likely a coincidence, if anything.

Link was grateful that Zelda had allowed him to go back to the Zora Domain earlier than he planned. He knew that she had recieved a letter from Sidon the day before she sent him off, and that message apparently lead to a discussion, (“Link, you’ve been here for three weeks – why didn’t you tell me that you had a boyfriend waiting for you?!”) and shortly after, she ‘punished’ him for not telling her about Sidon by sending him away to the Zora Domain for the next two weeks. He was not allowed to come back until the 14 days were up.

At first, the punishment confused Link, and he tried to protest it by saying that there were still things that needed to be taken care of in the castle, even if Ganon is no longer a threat to their world. The here even added that Sidon fully understood the situation and didn’t mind waiting. Zelda had to spell it out to him that, although she really appreciates how “dedicated to his job” Link was, even before the 100-year slumber, it’s not right that he basically stayed at the castle and didn’t at least go to the Zora Domain for a few days to personally let Sidon know that he was fine. And alive. Link attempted to argue that he sent the prince a letter that first day after beating Ganon, but “that’s not enough”, according to the princess. He could still hear her words as if she was standing right next to him.

“Link, I know you mean well. You’ve saved our world from Ganon, and Hyrule is at peace now. Sure, there is still plenty of work to be done around here. However, it’s already waited 100 years for your return. It can wait a few more weeks until you come back. You have someone you love waiting for you at home. I imagine that he’s worried sick about you, but he won’t tell you himself. Go to him, Link. For all that you done for us, you deserve a break.”

They may not always see eye to eye, but Link treasures the friendship that he has with the future Queen of Hyrule. If Link was being honest, he felt like Zelda was the sister that he wished he had growing up. The hero knows in his heart that she will make a fine ruler, perhaps the greatest queen of all time.

Link reaches his destination, and the door was closed. Someone was inside the room, going by the faint sounds of footsteps and a voice, and he assumes it’s the Zora prince himself. He hesitates for a moment before knocking on the door. Judging by the yelping sound that he heard as a ‘response’, Sidon must not have realized that it was already time.  Link steps back from the door, and a few seconds later, Sidon opens it.

“H-Hello Link! Forgive me, I didn’t realize it was already time.”

The Hylian waves as he walks into the room, and turns to face the Zora. Link notices that Sidon’s head-tail was twitching, which meant that the prince was anxious.

“Are you…okay?”

“O-Oh yes, I am completely fine! Not sick or anything of the sort.”

Link raises his eyebrow as he closes the door. Sidon didn’t fool him, but he will go along with it. It must be something big if the prince is that nervous to speak to him. Slowly, he takes a few steps closer to Sidon and grabs his hand.

“So…what did you want to give me?”

The sweet smile that Link gives Sidon nearly makes the prince want to melt.

“Uuhhmm…well, I…”

The Hylian tries to peek at what’s on the desk behind Sidon, but the shark quickly moves over to block his view.

“Heh, trying to hide it from me? …It is still not finished?”

“I-It’s finished.”

“You sure? Sidon, you seem nervous. I can wait longer if—”

“O-Oh no, it’s ready. “

Before Link could respond back, Sidon turns around and grabs the black box from the desk. He turns to face his boyfriend, takes a deep breath, and smiles at him.

“I…I want to give this to you now.”

Sidon moves closer to Link, holding the box in front of him. Seeing that the prince’s hands were shaking, Link believes that whatever’s inside the box must be important. The hero’s eyes were so focused on the object that he vaguely hears the prince’s voice.

“I…I felt that if I presented you a Zora armor, one that I made myself, maybe you would think I was trying to replace the one that my sister made.”

Placing the box gently in Link’s hands, Sidon speaks to the Hylian in a quiet, shaky voice.

“Open it.”

Link slowly opens the box, and inside was a silver ornate-looking neck accessory. It reminded Link of the “collar” that Sidon wears as part of his royal attire. There were gems that trailed down the sides, and to him, they appeared to be luminous stones. He gently brushes a finger over a few of them, and the finger rest on a large set of jewels that he didn’t notice at first.

On the left side of the necklace, there were three blue gems grouped together in a triangular pattern. Sapphires. The hero knows that most Zora were quite fond of that specific jewel, and he faintly remembered overhearing a few of them mentioning something known as a “Zora Sapphire.” He doesn’t quite remember why, but he knew that it held a very special meaning.

The entire neck jewelry was beautiful, and Link felt even that word wasn’t enough to describe it. This wasn’t the first time that Sidon presented him with jewelry as a gift. He still treasured the gorgeous pair of ear cuffs that the prince gave him on their two-year anniversary. Those earrings didn’t look nearly as detailed as the necklace resting in his hands. If Link were to be honest about it, the necklace looked more like something that would be used for a potential marriage propo-

The Hylian quickly looks up at Sidon and sees that the Zora had looked away, most of his face covered in a blush.

“L-Link, I…”

Sidon slowly went down to his knees, to be closer to Link’s level, and held Link’s free hand with one of his own.

“I love you, Link. So much.  From the moment that I saw you on the bridge, I knew that you were special. Who would have thought that I’d fall in love with the legendary hero of Hyrule. I admit that every day, I still can’t believe that such an amazing guy would love me in return.

“The fact that you’ve have done so many impressive and wonderful things, even saving the world, but are always so polite and humble about it…it’s such an attractive trait for one to have. You do not hesitate to dive head first into danger to protect others, and you’re the bravest person I’ve ever known. You are also so kind and gentle, with a sincere heart of gold. Being around you makes me feel so…complete. I don’t think such joy has been inside of my heart for a long time. To me, you are much more than the love of my life.”

Sidon takes a deep breath before giving Link a warm smile.

“I truly believe that you are my soulmate.”

If Link’s heart were to beat any faster, he would have passed out. A blush forms on his cheeks, his fingers tighten their grip on the box, and Link watches as Sidon reaches to brush aside a few strands from his face. The Hylian is thankful that his heart wasn’t pounding loud enough to where he couldn’t hear Sidon speaking to him.

“My darling, I treasure every moment that we are together, and my heart truly aches whenever you have to leave me.  However, I don’t want you to feel that I am trying to lock you here to Zora’s Domain, if you were to accept this. “

Sidon leans in a bit more towards Link.

“Yes, I would love it if you were always by my side, but I know you. You enjoy travelling, and you still have some duties to tend to at Hyrule Castle, being the official knight of the soon-to-be queen Zelda. You can come and go from the Domain as you please, and I would be right here, waiting for you every time.”

Placing shaking hands on top of smaller ones, Sidon looks deeply into Link’s eyes.

“With Ganon finally defeated, it truly feels like a weight has been lifted from this world. Now, what felt like a hopeless situation, is now a bright future filled with hope. I look forward to seeing what this new era will bring. I don’t know what the future would have in store for all of us in Hyrule, but I know that I want to experience it, every single moment, no matter how good or bad, with you.  In fact…”

He says the following words with a quiet and confident voice.

“I would be honored…if I could spend the rest of my life with you, Link. If you would allow me to.”

Link stood there, absorbing every word that his dear Zora prince said to him, and unknowingly tightening his grip around the box in his hands. Did he…just propose to him? Sidon wants to spend the rest of his life with him of all people?

It shocked him. Despite all the praise that his boyfriend would give him throughout their relationship, Link felt that he was the one that was lucky to be with Sidon. The Zora prince was quite the catch, popular enough to have his own fan club (and still has it, even after it was public knowledge that he and Link were an item), and was well-liked by everyone that came across him because of Sidon’s infinite amount of confidence and encouragement. The hero would be lying if it wasn’t the prince’s reassurance that helped him defeat Ganon when he stared the evil fiend in the face.

For the longest time, Link had imagined that he would live his life ‘alone’. If he did end up married, he had imagined it would likely be something along the lines of political reasons, and not because he was truly in love with the other person.  Prince Sidon changed all of this.

The fact that, of all the people in the entire world, Sidon is certain that he wants to spend the rest of his life (or what he could, considering the circumstances) with him… It causes a warm sensation to spread throughout his body. So many words could explain the feelings that are inside of his heart and soul, but Link decides on one.

He was happy. So, so happy.

While Link was lost in his own thoughts, he didn’t realize that by being so quiet and not responding back to Sidon, the prince was beginning to panic. There wasn’t any emotion on Link’s face, and Sidon quickly believes that Link is rejecting him. His head-tail moving back in forth in distress, the Zora starts to talk in a fast speed, and seemingly in a nonstop sentence.

“O-oh goodness, I’m sorry Link. Maybe I misread this entire thing. Perhaps it was even in bad taste of me to propose to you just after you defeated Ganon. For all I know, I could have offended you by giving you the necklace in the first place. If you don’t want to accept my proposal, I completely understand! Perhaps we should have spent more time together before I even considered the thought of asking such a thing. It’s quite alright if you feel like it’s soon to even think about marriage. For all I know, you might even want to do so many things in life before deciding to ‘settle down’ with me. How inconsiderate of me. I will not hold any of this against you, Link. Regardless of what just happened, I still love yo--”

“Yes.”

Sidon immediately stops talking. He almost didn’t hear Link with how quiet the “yes” was. At that moment, Sidon’s eyes widened, and he slowly spoke to Link with disbelief.

“Wait…Link, you…you mean?”

The Hylian repeats himself, his voice a bit louder and his eyes starting to water.

“Yes.”

Tears fall down Link’s eyes and he gives Sidon a smile that was so beautiful, and full of love, the Zora couldn’t believe that it was real. Link gently places the box in Sidon’s hands, and signs to him slowly so that Sidon would not miss a single thing.

“I accept your proposal, Sidon. It would be the highest honor in all of Hyrule, to be your husband.”

It takes a few seconds for a grin to form on Sidon’s face, and barely a second after for tears to come from his eyes.

“Oh…oh Link.”

Before the hero could react, he finds himself being lifted into the air and in a tight embrace. The Zora prince burrows his face into Link’s neck, leaving a few soft kisses.

“You’ve made me so happy, my darling.”

Truthfully, it was a bit hard to Link to breath, but he still lets out a few laughs as he wraps his arms around the prince’s neck. This wasn’t the first time Sidon has hugged them this tight, and he is certain that it won’t be the last.

Link leans back a bit so he could look at Sidon’s face, and when their eyes meet, their lips touch. The kiss lasts for a few seconds, and as their lips part, Link leans in and slowly rubs his nose against Sidon’s. The Zora’s grip slightly tightens and his tails twitches in pleasure. A Zora’s nose is sensitive, and Link admits the cute way his sweetheart reacts to an action like this is one of the things about Sidon that he finds adorable.

With a soft laugh, Sidon slowly sets Link on the ground, still holding the black box in his hand. The prince was still on his knees, and Link caresses Sidon’s cheek with his hand. Looking down at the box, he places his hand on top of the item and speaks to his future husband.

“May I…wear the necklace now?”

“Of course! It is yours, after all.”

Sidon gently removes the jewelry from the box and looks at Link. The Hylian uses his hands to hold his hair up in the back, giving Sidon the room he needed to put the engagement necklace on him. Touching the necklace again with his fingers, Link closes his eyes with a smile, wondering how everyone will react to seeing him around the Domain with it on. He knows the next time that he goes to Hateno, Bolson would be asking so many questions…and likely demanding to meet the prince that stole his heart. Link even giggles to himself at how he’d think Zelda would react. Hearing Sidon’s voice causes him to open his eyes and look at the Zora.

“I apologize if the necklace is a bit tight around your neck, Link. I tried my best to guess how wide your neck is, especially since I couldn’t exactly use you physically as a reference when I had it forged. I can easily go have Dento enlarge it for you, if you feel it needs to be loosened.”

Link moves his hand from the necklace and grins at Sidon as he signs.

“It’s perfect.”

“Then…I’m so glad that you like it.”

Sidon leans in.

“Consider me biased for saying this, but… it looks so beautiful on you, Link.”

With a soft laugh, Link walks over to the giant bed behind Sidon, and sits down. He slowly pats the space next to him, and Sidon quickly walks over to join his beloved. When the prince sits down, Link moves to sit in Sidon’s lap. A large hand slowly moves around his back, pushing him closer to Sidon’s body. As he looks up, Link is not surprised to see a pair of yellow eyes staring at him, nor the wide sharp-toothed grin that was directly below them.

Link feels a small rush of excitement going through him, not like the ones that he occasionally gets during a heated battle. He is going to marry Sidon. The prince and heir to the Zora Domain. The love of his life. To Link, being the legendary hero of Hyrule does not compare to what will soon happen to him. When it came down to it, anyone could be the hero that defeated Ganon. But to be engaged to, and eventually marry, Prince Sidon… it was only he that would receive such an honor.

It may sound selfish, but for Link, this was the best reward that he could have ever received for slaying Ganon.

The engagement will certainly be big news, and it makes the hero a bit nervous. A prince choosing a spouse is already a major event – A prince announcing his plans to marry the Legendary Hero of Hyrule? The entire kingdom will be talking about it for weeks, without a doubt. Link admits that he wouldn’t be surprised if they receive congratulation letters and gifts within a day of a public announcement – as large as Hyrule is, it doesn’t take long for news to travel from one end of the continent to the other.

Another thought appears in Link’s mind as he gazes at the handsome prince in front of him. The Hylian knows that he will be considered and referred to as Sidon’s husband. However, he was marrying into the Royal Zora family. Dorephan is still on the throne as the king, and Sidon was the Domain’s prince.

What would that make Link?

“Sidon?”

“Yes, Link?”

“May I…ask a question?”

“Of course.”

“When we get married…what would my ‘title’ be?”

“Your title? Hmm…”

Sidon rests a finger on his chin for a few moments.

“I believe that you would officially be a consort.  You might possibly be considered a ‘prince’ as well, be it unofficially. Whenever it is my turn to officially take the throne from my father, I feel like that you will still be referred to as a consort. Perhaps even as a 'Queen' by technicality.  I admit that I’d rather refer to you as a ‘Second King’, if it came down to it… and as ‘my husband’, of course.”

The red shark lets out a small chuckle, running his claws through Link’s hair.

“However, whenever that day comes, it would mean that you would truly have to resign from your job as Zelda’s most trusted knight. I do hope that such a thing will not cause bad blood to happen between our two kingdoms, and that Zelda wouldn’t hate me for ‘stealing’ her dear protector away.”

Sidon winks at Link. The hero quietly laughs, playfully hitting Sidon on his chest.

“I don’t think that would happen, Sidon.”

“Oh? What makes you so certain?”

Link signs to his fiancé with confidence, and a huge grin on his face.

“Because Zelda actually got mad at me for not going to you right after I defeated Ganon. She wasn’t furious or anything like that, but she pretty much forced me to come back. I’m banished here for two weeks.”

“She actually banished you here? Hehe, I didn’t know the Zora Domain was a place for punishment.”

“It’s only a punishment if one dislikes how beautiful this place is.”

Hearing the prince chuckle, Link continues to sign.

“Of course, after she disciplined me, Zelda proceeded to ask me all about you. What were you like, how long we’ve been dating, for example. ”

“All good things, I hope. What did you tell her?”

Suddenly, Link looks at the Zora with an emotionless expression.

“I told her that you were a spoiled prince that dramatically threw tantrums when you didn’t get your way.”

Sidon’s eyes widen in shock, and his jaw drops. Before the prince could say anything, Link quickly moves up to kiss him. As Sidon stares at him, the small hero quietly speaks to him.

“I’m kidding. “

Link moves his head to that he’s near Sidon’s ear, and whispers.

“I told her…that you are so kind, and affectionate, and being with you makes me feel like the luckiest person in the entire universe.”

Link immediately feels a pair of large arms wrap around him, and a face nuzzling into the side of his neck. His ears quickly pick up the familiar (and loud) purring sound, and the hero laughs as he tries to touch the long head-tail that wagged like there would be no tomorrow.

“…I wouldn’t be surprised if, when she meets you, the Prince Sidon fan-club gains another member.”

“Oh hush.”

The engaged couple share a laugh, and Link continues to giggle as he feels Sidon leaving light kisses on his neck and shoulder. He is not sure if all Zora are so highly affectionate to their lovers, or if it was just Sidon, but Link wouldn’t change that about him for the world.

He runs his hand over the feathered “crown” on Sidon’s head, and Link wonders if he would be given something like that to wear after they’re married.  He wouldn’t mind, but he feels that a circlet would suit him more – the prince appeared to be quite fond of the one that he bought when he was in Gerudo Town. Whenever it’s time for Sidon to take the throne, the hero imagines that he would most likely be given an actual crown or tiara to wear.

It would be slightly unusual to see Sidon wearing a king’s crown on his head, but Link has no worries about him being a king. He knows that the Zora will make an excellent one, and Link will make sure that Sidon stays that way…not that the Hylian really has anything to worry about. He will always be a ‘knight’ in his heart, even if he will eventually be referred to as a ‘Second King.”

As far as Link knew, he’s never heard of there being two kings in the Zora Domain, unless it’s something he missed while reading some of the older history books. Link also doesn’t recall of any non-Zora rulers in the Domain’s past, and a question to form in his mind. He gently taps Sidon on his forehead. The prince looks up at Link and seeing the Hylian bringing his hands together to sign, he leans back to give him the space he needed.

“Sidon, I can’t help but wonder... Has there ever been a couple like…us on the throne?”

“Like us? Hmm…I guess it would depend on what you mean by that.”

The prince rests a finger on his chin, getting into a thinking pose.

“It’s more of a rare occasion, but there have been Zora kings and queens, more so the latter, that have ruled the Domain with a spouse by their side that was the same gender as them.  Also…”

Sidon smiles as he moves closer to Link.

“If the stories that I’ve heard growing up are true, you actually wouldn’t be the first Hylian on the throne.”

A pair of blue eyes widen in surprise. With a smile, Sidon continues.

“I remember when I was very young, my mother told me that a few millennia ago, there was a Zora prince that was ready to throw away any claim that he had to the throne if his parents wouldn’t allow him to marry a female Hylian that he loved. Plus, there is the famous tale claiming that Princess Ruto was in love with an extremely skilled Hylian. From the way my mother talked about it, it seemed like Zora - Hylian pairs happened occasionally during those days. She was quite the historian if memory serves me, so I can’t imagine her lying about something like that.”

Link chuckles as he signs to the prince.

“Now I’m wondering if maybe if there is something about Hylians that seem to attract Zora to them.”

“Well, I can’t speak for anyone else, but…”

Sidon slowly leans towards Link, a sharp-toothed grin on his face.

“To me, of all the Hylians I’ve encountered, you are the most attractive one of them all.”

Link rolls his eyes with a smile before signing a reply.

“Well, I would certainly hope so since you just asked me to marry you, but thank you for the compliment.”

The Hylian feels a large hand gently push him to the bed, and watches Sidon hover over him.  The prince moves close enough that their lips are a few inches apart of each other.

"You’re welcome.”

Link closes the distance between them and kisses Sidon while wrapping his arms around the Zora’s neck. Sidon returns the kiss as he positions himself so that he wasn’t putting a lot of weight on Link. The Hylian noticed Sidon’s act and pulls away from him with a laugh.

“How sweet of you.”

Before Sidon could say anything back, Link leans up to kiss him on the nose. He gazes into his fiancé’s golden eyes and feels a clawed hand caress his waist. The way Sidon is looking at him, the hero can see so many things. Love. Adoration. Respect. Happiness. In the deepest part of his eyes, Link also sees something that he is quite familiar with - Desire. The hand slowly moves up and down, and a minor blush appears on Sidon’s face.

Link chuckles quietly, answering the Zora’s silent question with a nod. He’s not sure if it was because of being proposed to a few minutes earlier, but it was a mutual feeling. At least they no longer worry about anyone coming into Sidon’s room unannounced –after the time Gaddison walked into the room and spotted them in a ‘interesting’ position, the entire palace made sure to knock beforehand.

Feeling the cool metal of the jewelry touching his neck, the hero wonders if he should give Sidon an “engagement jewelry” as well. It would be fair, after all, although he isn’t too certain if male Zora normally would even have such a thing. Link makes a mental note to talk to his childhood friend Kodah about it. Perhaps she could even tell him if giving a Zora Armor to a potential husband was a royalty-only act, or if all Zora do it. Maybe even, she could show him how to make one. That thought causes Link to think back to a comment that Sidon had said earlier in the proposal regarding the armor. Raising his hands so Sidon can see them, Link signs.

“I think you had mentioned the Zora Armor earlier?”

Link rests a hand on the scale-less bald spot on Sidon’s arm, and looks at him. The red shark looks away with a small blush.

“Yes, I did. I actually started to make one, if I am to be honest with you. I'd say that I was about a quarter of the way in before I stopped and decided to give you the necklace instead."

“You didn’t finish the armor because of Mipha?”

“I guess…I felt that I would be unintentionally trying to replace the one Mipha gave you. That, and normally, it’s tradition for the males of the royal family to give their beloved a beautiful jewelry item, be it a bracelet, a necklace, or a set of rings. I was aware that a similar custom is used for Hylians, although I feared if I gave you a ring, you would end up loosing it in a battle. I did save a few of the scales, and had Dento forge them into your necklace while he was working on it. ”

The blush on the prince's face grew, and his head-tail slowly wags.

"A bit of 'extra good luck and protection', you could say. It is royal tradition for the prince or princess to add at least one of their scales to their beloved's engagement armor or jewelry. While you were off to fight Ganon and later stayed to help out at Hyrule Castle, I resumed working on the armor a bit to try and calm myself down when I found myself worried, and missing you too much. "

Sidon feels Link’s hand on his cheek and gently guiding his face so that they were facing each other. Link caresses the Zora’s cheek before signing.

“I would never get rid of the one that Mipha made for me.”

Link gently pulls Sidon’s face closer to his own, and looks deeply into his fiancé’s eyes. With a slow blink, the Hylian smiles at him and speaks with a soft, seductive tone.

“… But I would love to see the kind of Zora Armor that you would make for me, Prince Sidon.”

Sidon grins at the comment and lets out a playful growl. Before drowning him with kisses, the prince gives Link a promise.

“Well then, I can’t disappoint my future husband. I’ll have it ready by the wedding, and make sure it’s worthy of being worn by the Legendary Hero of Hyrule.”

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