Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

Link woke up suddenly, as he did every morning. He looked around, frowning as he felt a familiar tugging at his forearms. He should know what was causing the sensation, but his thinking was still muddled from sleep. He looked down beside him, finding that his fins had somehow wrapped themselves around a tiny form in the middle of the night, or rather, the tiny form had wrapped them around herself.

"Alolu?" Mipha mumbled tiredly from the other side of the bundle.

He nodded. He wasn't sure at what point their daughter had wandered in and slipped in between them. She was always so quiet, likely worried that she would wake them up if she wasn't careful.

He had asked her once why she liked to bundle up in such a fashion. Apparently, she suffered from nightmares and wrapping herself up helped to lull her back to sleep. The golden scales acted like a shield from the thoughts that terrorized her at night.

A peaceful silence fell over the small family as they enjoyed the first late morning they'd had in a while. King Dorephan had insisted that they take a day and enjoy themselves, despite his and Mipha's protests. The Zora King had convinced them rather easily when he had reminded them that they had a duty to their daughter as well.

"Do you suppose she will be surprised?" Mipha asked suddenly, sounding more alert than she had a few minutes ago.

Link nodded again. He knew it was foolish to think that speaking would end the moment, but he continued to maintain his silence on the off chance the naïve hope was true. While he spent the majority of each day at Mipha's side, they had very little time alone together, and that was before they had a daughter that also required their attention. He loathed the idea of ending it before it had to.

Link felt Alolu shift around in her makeshift nest, as though whispering about her was enough to bring her back to awareness. He and Mipha watched with fascination as a tiny, ruby-red hand appeared, followed shortly by the head of a small child. She opened her mouth wide, exposing her small, sharp teeth as she yawned. Her head tilted forward as she almost fell back asleep, causing her tail fin to flop around as she flinched back up.

"Good morning, sweetheart," Mipha giggled as she leaned over and embraced her daughter, stroking her tailfin affectionately as she did so.

"Morning, mommy," Alolu replied with another yawn. The little girl rubbed her bright blue eyes as Mipha stood up and went to ready herself for the day ahead.

Link stayed where he was as she continued the long process of waking up. As ready as he was to get up, she was still tangled up in his fins. Any sudden movements could jerk her around, and that was dangerous for a young Zora. The weight of their tail fins combined with their longer, thinner necks made any sudden movements potentially damaging when they weren't wearing their chokers.

Link smiled as Alolu finally crawled out of her makeshift nest and leaned over to him, wrapping her tiny arms around his neck. "Morning, daddy," she cooed.

"Morning," he replied as he rubbed her back slowly. They stayed that way for a time before they both got up.

"I need to inform father that we'll be up at the Veiled Falls," Mipha stated as she set her headpiece on.

Link nodded as he made a small fire in the corner of their room. He then removed his beloved cooking pot, the same one that he had carried during his journeys through Hyrule, from its cupboard and set it over the fire. "Want to help?" he asked his daughter quietly.

"Yes," she nodded as she joined him.

Link took her little hand in his own and took her through the motions of cooking various dishes. Considering how vulnerable she was to heat, he would occasionally send her to take breaks, having her read her favorite stories to him as he continued preparing the food for their picnic. During one such interval, he prepared rice balls as she wasn't looking. Alolu knew who favored the delicacy and letting her see it was the quickest way to ruin the surprise in store.

"Let's go," he said as he finished packing their meal.

"Okay!" she responded as she closed the book she had been holding and leaped to her feet. Link grinned as he watched her race around to finish getting ready. It had been a while since he had seen her so excited.

Most of her days were spent under Muzu's tutelage. Though Mipha had abdicated the throne, all but eliminating any chance of Alolu taking it, the family was still expected to contribute to Zora society, especially since the entire country was undergoing the painful process of reconstruction. As a result, the young girl had to spend her days undergoing an extensive curriculum which involved learning the finer points of Zoran society, history, diplomacy and any other skills the elder found necessary.

He and Mipha had made polite comments about how hard Muzu was pushing her; however, the elder didn't quite catch their meaning, or he did and made no effort to ease up on the girl.

Perhaps her days may not have been so dull if she were coming home to parents who weren't exhausted every night. Even though he and Mipha did their best to hide it, Alolu was more perceptive than most. He knew she could see the exhaustion in their eyes.

Even though Sidon had taken on the majority of the strains brought on by Dorephan's waning health, there was still a considerable amount of work for the two. Between constant trips to Hyrule Castle and back, hosting various ambassadors, and trying to help maintain stability as leadership was handed down the Prince, there was little time for family and rest, but they made do as best they could.

His smile deepened as she bounded over to him. A weight was taken off his shoulders as he saw her acting like a child for the first time in a long time.

"Are you and mommy finally going to teach me to swim up a waterfall?"

"We'll see," he responded as she took his hand and they left their quarters behind. He wasn't sure they would have any time to devote to teaching her. Not that it was a problem, seeing as he wasn't even sure she had developed the strength to perform such a feat yet.

They met Mipha near the northern entrance and began their excursion in earnest. Despite their eagerness to leave the city behind for the day, the family still walked with the grace that Muzu demanded of them. They would respond to greetings with a nod that he considered to be far too dignified; however, if it came to making the lives of his wife and daughter any easier, he would acquiesce to some of Muzu's demands.

As soon as they left the city behind, Link let Alolu climb up on to his shoulders and then took Mipha's hand as they made the long trip up to the top of the Veiled Falls on foot. They could have made it a much shorter journey by swimming up the falls themselves, but they had decided against it the night before. Walking on foot would give them more time as a family, as well as providing them more time to entertain their daughter which Link did by bouncing his shoulders, causing Alolu to shriek with laughter.

After a few hours of walking, they made it to the top of the Falls. They took a moment to enjoy the view before finding a small pond nearby in which to cool down. Link and Mipha continued sitting long after Alolu had become bored. They smiled as she explored their surroundings, coming back often to inform them of her latest discoveries only to leave a few seconds later.

"I wish more days could be like this," Mipha sighed quietly as she sank further into the pond's depths.

Link nodded in agreement. He had known that marrying into the royal family would be stressful, he just hadn't imagined that he would be exhausted all of the time. As the cool waters continued rolling over him, he felt his tension seep away, allowing him to relax.

It wasn't that he was miserable, but rather, that he didn't have as much time for the things that he considered truly important, such as his wife and child. While there was something to be said about the importance of negotiating trade routes and the logistics of infrastructure, he found most of it to be arbitrary. It wasn't so much about problem solving as much as it was about not stepping on anyone's toes. The way he saw it, if there was a problem, then it should be solved, not danced around with fancy words while the ones in power tried to find some way to benefit.

It left him feeling like he spent his days on useless endeavors while the most important of his jobs was left to a few hours at night when he was thoroughly drained.

As the sun continued its ascent, Link's eyes combed the skies above them, searching for a familiar sight, which he finally found heading towards them. "Alolu!" he called, "come help me unpack."

Together he and his daughter set down a blanket and placed the platters of food around the blanket.

"Daddy…" he turned, concealing a smile as she picked up the rice balls, "… why did you –"

She stopped as a familiar gust of wind blew past them. Link and Mipha exchanged an eye roll as they recognized the source immediately. It seemed that even years later, a certain someone hadn't lost his taste for grand entrances.

"Well, if it isn't my favorite niece."

"Uncle Revali!" Alolu cried excitedly as she raced towards the dark blue Rito.

"Mom! Mom, look out!" another voice called in mild panic as Medli landed not far away.

"We're fine!" Medli exclaimed as she let her son down. "I only overshot a little."

"I want dad to fly me next time!" Komali squawked as he shuddered violently.

"Now it wasn't that bad."

"You nearly killed us!"

"Don't speak to your mother that way!" Revali called sharply. He gave his son a pointed stare until the boy grumbled an apology to his mother.

"It's good to see you again," Mipha said in greeting as she gave Medli a hug, disappearing for a moment as the Rito's wings completely enveloped her.

"You too! It's been so long! Ah, how are you Master Link?" she asked as she turned to him.

"Good," he replied simply, figuring that he would leave Mipha to converse with the talkative mother.

He turned to find Revali approaching him.

"Link," the Rito said in greeting as they shook hands firmly.

"Revali."

"Still suck at breathing?" the Rito asked snidely, still shaking Link's hand.

"Going to name a child Falco?" The two Champions glared at each other as they entered a silent contest. After having won the last few of their bouts, Link decided to be a gracious loser and pulled away first.

The Rito smirked, enjoying his victory before turning to Mipha. "I still don't understand how you can put up with him every day."

"It is a struggle some days," the Zora sighed as she eyed the children. "At least I have it easier than Medli, though."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Revali asked indignantly.

"I think she means that she thinks you're harder to be married to," Medli answered thoughtfully. "I think I can see why she would say that."

"You're supposed to be on my side!"

"I am on your side."

"This is almost as bad as when you lost our sparring match," Link muttered mischievously.

"It ended in a draw!" Revali snapped as he rounded on Link.

"What about the second time?"

"There were no witnesses the second time."

"I think we should we eat now," Mipha interjected quickly, gesturing to the food that lay at their feet.

"Oh, thank goodness!" Medli sighed, "I was getting rather hungry."

After calling the two children over, the group began eating the large meal before them. Alolu and Komali each took turns informing each other of every one of their recent accomplishments and exploits. Unsurprisingly, Revali's son had taken up archery, and much like his father, was not a natural; however, Link had no doubt the child would become a master in time. He had inherited his father's spunk after all.

Revali and Medli took a great interest in the contents of Alolu's life, much to the young girl's pleasure. She was used to Muzu insisting on her silence when Link and Mipha were in the presence of other adults, including her uncle Sidon and grandfather. She relished the chance to be the center of attention for once.

After the meal was finished, the two children wandered off again, intent on exploring as much as they could before they had to leave. The adults had their own form of entertainment, though it was really more about a long-standing rivalry between Link and Revali.

"You're not going to win this time," Revali muttered as he dealt everyone their own set of tiles, as though Link won every single game they played.

"…" Link gazed at the Rito over his hand of tiles as he began formulating a plan.

"Is it my turn to start?" Medli asked as she frowned at her hand.

"Yes," Revali replied absently.

"Now Link," Mipha whispered as she set a tile down, "please don't do -… exactly that," she sighed as he set down a wild card.

"Call," Revali said smugly, only to have his face fall flat as Link showed him his hand.

"Draw six."

That was only the start of the Rito's misfortune that night. Though both he and Link had experienced morale-boosting triumphs and devastating losses, none was quite so absolute as Revali's loss that night.

"This isn't over," he growled as he glowered at Link.

Link just shrugged, not too concerned about the Rito's wrath.

"Komali!" Medli called as she and Mipha finished their fit of silent giggling, "it's time to go!"

"But mooom," the boy whined as he and Alolu came rushing back, "can't we stay a little longer?"

"Not this time."

"But –"

"No arguing," Revali interrupted firmly. "This time you can fly with me though."

"Okay," Komali sighed, the traces of a pout still scrunching up his face.

"It is time for us to be returning as well," Mipha said as she picked up Alolu, whose head immediately began to droop.

"Bye, bye Komali" she mumbled tiredly. "Bye uncle Revali… bye, aunt Medli…"

After a few more quick goodbyes, both families went their separate ways.

"I hope we can do that again soon. It has been far too long since I've seen her so happy," the Zora said quietly as she gazed down at the sleeping face of her daughter. "Perhaps we should talk to Muzu about allowing her more free time. I worry that she doesn't have many friends in the Domain."

Link agreed emphatically as they made their way down the cliffside and back into the Domain. "I think Bazz and I should trade off shifts guarding you," he added. It had been something he had been considering for a while, but he thought it was a sensible plan. It would allow Alolu more time with at least one of her parents, and maybe even allow for a few more outings, even if it was just the two of them.

"Hmm," she hummed, "I wonder if Muzu would allow me to take over for him a few days a week. It would allow me to teach her what I want her to know.

"... We should teach her to swim up waterfalls," he said suddenly. When she had asked earlier, he hadn't devoted much thought to it, but now it was eating away at him slowly.

"Yes, but not tonight," Mipha responded tiredly. "We need rest. We can make plans tomorrow."

Link nodded even as he started planning. Mipha may have wanted to wait until the morning, but he had grown tired of waiting for opportunities to spend time with his daughter over the years.

They passed no one as they made their way back to their private quarters, only stopping briefly to tuck Alolu in.

He lay awake long into the night, even after Mipha had fallen asleep. His life was a far cry from what he had imagined it would be, but he supposed that wasn't the worst thing. He kept busy and loved his family dearly. It was enough to make up for the parts that he wasn't entirely happy with.

He remained still as he heard a tiny pair of feet moving across the stone floor and felt the bed shift as it gained a new occupant. He smiled as he felt a familiar tugging at his fins. Sometimes, life was hectic and could be unsatisfying, but days like the one he'd just had more than made up for it. In the end, he had Mipha and Alolu, and that was enough.

Chapter Text

Mipha smiled fondly, her legs hanging in the water as she watched Alolu splashing around the base of the Veiled Falls. She and Link had brought their daughter up to one of their favorite spots to begin teaching her how to swim up waterfalls. Mipha was of the opinion that the young girl wasn't strong enough to make it up one yet, but that didn't mean they couldn't start teaching her the basics.

The lesson had started simply enough. They swam her up the falls a few times so that she could get a feel for it. As excited as Alolu had been to learn, she had quickly become distracted by the abundance of frogs, fish, insects, and other wildlife that surrounded them, not to mention the dancing lights as the sun's rays bounced off the water and the Zoras' glittering scales.

Mipha couldn't claim to be upset by the turn of events. Her only real goal when agreeing to spend their day off at the Falls was to spend time with her family. Whether or not Alolu was actually learning to swim up the falls was a secondary concern at best. In fact, her only concern in that regard was that Link would be disappointed, not that he would show it if he was. While he was far more open than he had been prior to their marriage, he still struggled when it came to sharing - especially the more negative emotions.

To her surprise, the former Hylian Champion was grinning as he watched their daughter try to catch a frog. He met her gaze for a moment before his smile turned mischievous and he held a finger over his lips. He slipped beneath the water silently, sneaking up on their daughter even as she was trying to sneak up on a frog.

Had Alou been paying attention, she would have sensed her father drawing closer. One of the blessings a Zora had were specialized organs that could detect motions while they were submerged, meaning that she should have known that someone or something was coming up behind her. As it was, she was unprepared when her father's hand shot out of the water and grabbed her from behind.

She shrieked, her terrified yell turning into laughter as she looked over her shoulder and finally understood what had happened.

"Daddy!" she cried, causing Mipha to giggle as she heard the mix of indignation and delight in her daughter's voice.

Link laughed with Alolu as he set her back in the water.

Mipha gazed on lovingly, thinking back on her daughter's name.

Alolu had not been her first choice when she and Link had been deciding on names. Ruto had been her preference, but Link had been adamantly against it. At first, she hadn't been able to understand why he was against naming her after one of her ancestors and the Sage of Water. It wasn't until he reminded her that the Divine Beast's name was derived from Ruto that she began to understand. In his eyes, naming their child after the Sage would be akin to naming her after the Divine Beast. Along with the association would come a slew of memories, some good and some horrible. In a sense, naming her Ruto would be a reminder to Link that both of them had very nearly seen the other die, and that was something he didn't want their child associated with.

Once she understood, Mipha had withdrawn her support for the name. She knew better than most just how powerful reminders of a traumatic event could be. Not only that but as she had reflected on their time together, she came to recognize how little he truly asked of her. It would have troubled her greatly to deny him one of the few things that he did request.

Of course, choosing a name hadn't become any easier after they had decided against Ruto. Link had been surprisingly picky when it came to naming their little one. It was so bad at one point that Mipha had begun to whether or not they would have something to call their child when he or she finally hatched.

Mipha wasn't sure what pulled her from her idle thoughts, only that something brought her back to reality sharply. She looked around quickly, finally focusing on Alolu to make sure she was safe. Alolu gazed back at her with one hand covering her face. Her little chest was shaking uncontrollably as her bright blue eyes stared at back at Mipha.

By the time the former Zora Champion realized what was happening, golden arms had already lashed out of the water and grabbed her by the hips. Before she could react, she was lifted into the air and brought crashing into the water. She flipped around, giving Link a playful shove before she rose above the surface, where she could hear Alolu giggling madly.

"Daddy got you!"

"Yes, he did," Mipha chuckled. She turned back to find that Link was still mostly submerged, with only his eyes and the top of his head above the water. "I see someone is feeling particularly ornery today."

It warmed her heart to see her husband's playful side coming back out. He had spent so much time being the silent warrior that everyone expected him to be that she sometimes worried that he had forgotten how to let loose. She realized she had been wrong to worry as he slipped back below the surface.

While their responsibilities hadn't really lessened, they had become much more bearable after they had started taking a few days a week to spend with Alolu. Muzu had been reluctant to support them at first, but her father and brother had insisted that it was for the best. After a long conversation, they were able to work out a system that would work for them. It helped that Muzu had finally begun to mellow out. He was rarely upset with Alolu and had even allowed her more free time on the days that she studied with him.

She hadn't realized how much she had needed to see her daughter acting like a child. It was a weight that had been mercifully lifted from her shoulders.

"Alolu, dear?"

"Yes?"

"When I give the signal, do your best to keep away from your father."

"What?"

"You'll see," Mipha replied as she slipped back below, smiling sweetly as she came eye to eye with Link. Before he could react, she lunged forward and tapped him, following it up by darting out of reach. "Run!" she shouted as she resurfaced and continued dashing away from her husband.

To Mipha's amusement, Alolu watched her retreat with wide eyes, allowing Link to sneak up on her once again. He sprang, tapping their daughter lightly on the shoulder. "You're it!" he cried before diving back in the water.

"Hey, no fair!" she cried as she dove after him. Mipha laughed quietly as she watched the two writhing around in the water. One of the things that she loved about Link was that he gave their child a fighting chance when it came to such games. He was more concerned about having fun than he was with winning, and to him, having fun meant that everyone else needed to have as much as he was.

As she expected, Link "accidentally" allowed Alolu to corner him and tap him on the chest before she darted away.

Mipha eyed him as he rose out of the water and turned his attention to her. She got ready to flee as he started towards her, looking forward to their favorite familial game as the afternoon wore on.

Later on, after he had finished the most pressing of his tasks, Sidon made the trip up to the Veiled Falls to visit his sister and her family. There, he found Link and Mipha dozing side by side as they floated in the water with Alolu curled up on Link's chest.

Chapter Text

Ordinarily, the throne room was a bustling mess, with members of the Zora Council, the Royal Guard, and even random citizens bringing their needs and grievances before the King. Alolu's grandfather, never one to turn away a Zora citizen, spent countless hours during his days listening to his people. That wasn't to say that he solved many, or even most, of the Domain's minor disputes, as much of that was handled by the Council or Alolu's parents. However, the King's willingness to hear his subjects out had earned him quite a bit of goodwill, as well as helping to keep the peace and contentment of the Domain.

For reasons unknown to the girl, things had begun to calm down, meaning that her grandfather now had more free time than he had months prior.

As such, Alolu usually enjoyed her more recent ventures in the Throne Room, as such visits were often accompanied by quality time with her grandfather. There, sitting at his feet, he would entertain her for hours as he recounted many Zora legends for her. She loved stories of the Kingdom's history, the legacy of her people, and recountings of her parents' younger years. While her mother had told her many things about their youth, there were many things that she had neglected to tell Alolu. Her mother always seemed to forget how often they had been lectured by Muzu for sneaking off to go exploring, even after they had been married.

Of course, he wouldn't tell her every story she wanted to hear, as most stories involving the two great wars her parents had fought in were off-limits. Though Alolu would never make the accusations out loud, she knew for certain her parents were behind her grandfather's silence on the matter. He had never refused to answer any other questions she had on any other topic; however, any questions in relation to the War of Burning Fields or the Outrealm Wars were always denied an answer.

Sometimes, it was incredibly difficult to not become upset by everyone's silence on such matters. Her friends would often tell her about what they had heard from their parents, or traveling merchants, or other sources. Unfortunately, her responsibilities as a member of the royal family often meant that she couldn't spend much time with her friends, and there was no way she would be able to speak to strangers to the Domain without the presence of her parents, her uncle Sidon, Muzu, or other adults meant to watch over her. Considering how recently the wars had occurred, the Zora had not yet compiled the information necessary to publish any works on it, and trying to acquire a work from the other races was out of the question. Bartering with a merchant would require the presence of an adult who would likely stop the process entirely.

Why was it so wrong for her to know how her parents had become known as heroes?

"What is it, child?" her grandfather asked kindly, pulling the girl out of her thoughts. He had been telling her the story of a Lynel that had taken residence on Ploymous Mountain nearly two centuries prior. She knew the story heavily involved her mother and father, but she found herself more concerned with her current frustrations.

"Nothing," she answered instinctively, fearing that sharing her frustrations would yet again lead to a lecture she didn't want to hear.

"Is that so?" he asked, raising a brow as he leaned forward.

"Yep!" she replied, trying her best to sound as sincere as possible. In the end, it didn't seem to matter as the King's brow only climbed higher.

"You are as poor a liar as your mother," he chuckled with a small smile. His smile faded slightly as he sized her up. "I will not force you to speak if you do not wish to; however, please do not feel the need to lie to me about it. I would much rather you were honest with me, yes?"

"Okay."

"Good." The Zora King leaned back, his eyes traveling up above her head as he resumed a more dignified countenance. "Captain Bazz," he greeted with a nod of his head, "Prince Sidon."

Alolu's tail fin swung violently as her head spun around to look at her uncle. As soon as her eyes found him, the Zora Prince favored her with a large, toothy grin that sparkled nearly as much as his eyes did. She grinned back, stretching her lips as far as she could. Uncle Sidon was among her most favorite people ever. He was the only person she knew who could keep up with her boundless energy and natural curiosity. The Prince also didn't seem to care whether or not his excitement in greeting her was deemed inappropriate. He always greeted her the same, regardless of who was around to hear.

"King Dorephan," the captain responded with the utmost respect "Lady Alolu."

"Sir Link and Lady Mipha have returned from Castle Town and are requesting an audience with you, my King."

Alolu turned back to her grandfather, finding a thoughtful frown on his face. "Send them in," the King finally commanded as his eyes drifted down to her. "Sidon, would you be so kind as to entertain your niece?"

The girl was surprised by her grandfather's request. Not that she was being dismissed, as she had become used to that. It had been explained to her that since her mother had relinquished her claim to the throne, she was no longer an heir to it, meaning that her presence wasn't required. As such, her family had decided that it would be best for her to grow older before being welcomed.

Rather, it was strange to her that her uncle, the heir to the throne, was being asked to accompany her out. Ordinarily, it would be considered incredibly rude for him to be absent from the meeting unless he was suffering from extreme circumstances.

"Absolutely!"

Alolu found herself grinning at the prospect of getting to spend time with her uncle. While she had missed her parents greatly over the course of the couple of weeks they had been gone and was eager to see them again, she had long since learned that she would not be able to spend time with them until after they had met with her grandfather. She had also learned that it was far better to simply cooperate than try and argue her case. Especially as her parents had made it known they hated it just as much as she did at the very least.

"Let's go, my dear niece!"

The girl jumped to her feet, spinning around and bounding toward her uncle quickly. It wasn't until she had crossed half the distance that she remembered about the "proper formalities" as Muzu would have called them. She nearly tripped as she flipped around to face her grandfather. She was about to give the King a quick bow; however, he held a single hand up, stopping her in her tracks.

"There is no one else around right now, my dear granddaughter. Go have fun with your uncle."

"Thank you, Grandpa!" She favored the King with a large grin before turning back around to sprint toward her uncle.

As was typical, the Prince knelt down and pulled her in, nearly crushing her with the strength of his embrace.

"Hi, uncle!"

"It is always a pleasure to see you, dear niece!"

Despite how quick he had been to pick her up, he sent her down gently, making sure that she had found her balance before letting go of her entirely. Once he was certain that she was ready, he straightened to his full height before escorting her out of the room and into the courtyard below. As Alolu and the Prince stepped down the stairs she caught sight of her parents, who were surrounded by Muzu and several other members of the Council. She stared at them, wishing they would spare her even a small glance. She would have called out to them if it wouldn't have led to a scene with Muzu. The elder was about maintaining proper posture at all times, regardless if anyone else was around to see.

Thankfully, her uncle was incredibly large and attracted attention wherever he went, causing everyone in the courtyard to look in his direction, including her parents. Her father, straight-faced as ever, nodded his acknowledgment of the Prince's presence, whereas her mother graced him with a large smile before her eyes traveled down to where Alolu stood.

Alolu grinned, giving her mother a slight wave as the Zora woman's face softened considerably, her eyes glowing with warmth and fondness. Her father, ever aware of his wife's actions, followed her mother's line of sight. His eyes sparkled just a bit when they reached her, the corners of his mouth tilting up ever so slightly. Ordinarily, he was cool and detached when in the presence of others, especially the Zora Council, so to receive a smile from him was a powerful message to her.

She wanted to stay and follow her parents, but she knew that would be inappropriate after being dismissed by her grandfather. Still, it didn't stop her from looking over her shoulder as she and her uncle passed. While her mother's attention had been wrenched away by the Council, her father had turned considerably, watching her as she walked away. To her surprise, he gave her a small nod, accompanied by a wink before turning back to follow the Council into the throne room.

"So, Alolu, where would you like to go?"

"Can we go to the Veiled Falls?"

"Absolutely! Tell me, are you hoping to practice swimming up the falls?"

"Yeah," she replied, not being a hundred percent honest with her motives. While it was true that she wanted to practice swimming up waterfalls, there were plenty of smaller, far more manageable falls nearby. Even so, the Veiled Falls was a special place to her family. One of the few places they could truly be by themselves without fear of being interrupted by the needs of others. She knew that they would know where she had gone and would make their way to the Falls as soon as they were finished with the King.

Of course, that wasn't the only reason she wanted to the Veiled Falls. She was hoping that leaving the Domain would give her the time, and the courage, to ask a question that had been burning within her for some time. Having made the decision to ask her uncle had been difficult, as she wanted to hear it from her parents; however, they were the reason that everyone was so tight-lipped, to begin with. She couldn't rely on an answer from them. She might have asked her grandfather, but she knew that he had the utmost respect for her parents' wishes, so he would likely refuse to answer the question.

That left Muzu, who would tell her that such questions were inappropriate and inconsequential to her, and the Prince. Her uncle Sidon never lied and was always sincere in the way he spoke. She'd just have to hope that he would have an answer for her.

The Prince of the Domain was unusually quiet as they made their way through the city. Usually, they would have spoken passionately about the way the sun reflected off the water crested streets, sending its dazzling rays to dance across the structures around them, or they would admire the beautiful, artistic waves that adorned their city's buildings and pathways. Occasionally, they would even stop to admire the statue of Alolu's mother. While the girl thought it a sweet gesture, it didn't come close to matching the Zora woman's warmth and grace.

Her uncle disagreed, but she didn't argue with him on it. He rarely had anything negative to say about anyone or anything, instead finding reasons to appreciate all of life's misfortunes. Often times, he would tell her how the statue had reminded him of all the reasons that he had come to truly appreciate his sister.

No such words were spoken as they as the statue came into view below.

Alolu's stomach twisted uncomfortably as she felt his eyes on her. While it was difficult to imagine him being upset, especially by such an innocent question, there was a voice in the back of her mind telling her that she should simply give up. Despite her misgivings, she remembered a conversation with her mother about being brave. The former Champion had gently told Alolu about a practice that helped her, which was to decide what she would do before the moment in which she had to be brave.

So, Alolu decided to heed her mother's advice and made a vow to ask her uncle as soon as an opportunity presented itself.

That opportunity would present itself sooner than she had thought.

"What is on your mind?" her uncle asked the moment their feet hit the dirt.

"Huh?" Alolu, expecting that she would have to try and lead the conversation, was instead caught off guard by how quickly the conversation started.

"You have been distracted since we met in the throne room, and it is starting to concern me. Is something the matter?"

"Why did grandfather ask you to watch me?" she asked, suddenly feeling annoyed with herself for allowing a misgiving to overtake her. "I thought you were supposed to be there for council meetings."

"Normally, they would require my presence; however, your mother wrote a letter telling us all about their visit to Hyrule Castle. Their meeting is just a formality," Sidon explained with a wave of his hand. "Is that really what was bothering you?"

"No..." Alolu's eyes fell to the ground as she readied herself. "Why won't mother and father let me hear stories about the wars?"

The Prince stopped in his tracks, giving her a look very reminiscent of the King. Gold and blue eyes met, with one pair gauging another while the other fought to maintain contact. To her surprise, Sidon pointed to something over her head, forcing her to try and follow his finger while also turning around. The Prince was pointing to a massive massive form that rested on a mountaintop across the Domain. "Do you know what that is?"

"Vah Ruta." The Divine Beast had rested on the same mountaintop since before she hatched, keeping a "silent vigil" as her mother had called it.

"Yes. And do you know its namesake?"

"Queen Ruto," she recited dutifully. Alolu had learned quite a bit about the ancient queen, as her mother held a particular fondness for the woman, both as the Sage of Water and as one of the most beloved monarchs of their people.

"Queen Ruto was to be your namesake as well," her uncle explained as he set a hand on her shoulder, prompting her to start moving along the path to the Veiled Falls once again. "Your mother thought it would be a suitable name for you; however, your father thought it was too close to the Divine Beasts name."

She wasn't sure she understood what he was trying to say, as she couldn't see how a name was related to her parents' history. Sure, she had been close to sharing a name with the Divine Beast, but that meant little to her.

"Eventually, we asked him why he wouldn't name you Ruto," her uncle continued with a thoughtful frown. "He said that name would always be a reminder of many painful memories, and he didn't want that for you. That had not occurred to my sister at the time, and after hearing him explain himself, she agreed."

"Painful memories?" she asked, her voice quavering slightly. Whenever she had imagined the story of her parents' history, it had always been of the physical challenges that they had been forced to overcome as she knew they were both capable warriors. It had never occurred to her anywhere in her fantasies that her parents might have been suffering from nonphysical ailments.

"Yes. Both wars were hard on your parents for several reasons. They lost so much, especially your father."

"Like what?"

Her uncle smiled at her sadly. "That is not for me to say."

Despite her curiosity, Alolu was relieved when her uncle refused to answer. She hadn't been prepared to learn what she had so far. There was a part of her, small and quiet, that still wanted to know what it was that her parents had gone through; however, it wasn't quite the same as before. There was an apprehension she hadn't felt before as now she understood a little better what hearing the stories would entail.

"Your parents are not fools," Sidon murmured as the Falls came into sight. "They know that the day will come when it will be time for you to hear their story if you are to carry on their legacy. They simply don't want you to grow up too quickly and I must say I quite agree." She felt the dark clouds that had been hanging over her for several minutes dissipate ever so slightly as she heard the smile return to his voice. "You are far too adorable to be growing so quickly!"

"Am not!"

"Nonsense! You are the most adorable of my nieces and my favorite!"

Alolu laughed despite the fact that she was his only niece. Her uncle always found ways to make her feel special and lift her spirits, even if the way he chose to do so didn't always make sense. Regardless, she was happy to spend time with him.

"Now, have you ever reached the top of the Falls?"

"Mother took me up once," Alolu answered as they reached the base of the falls.

"Excellent! How long has it been since you last practiced?"

"… A while," she responded meekly. She had wanted to practice on a more consistent basis; however, it was difficult to someone who had enough time to spend several days working with her.

"Hmm," the Prince hummed as he closed his eyes and rubbed his chin. "Would you like me to take you up so you can get a feel for it?"

"Yes!" the girl nearly shouted. She had witnessed her uncle's swimming prowess on more than one occasion. The chance to have the best swimmer in the Domain carry her up to the top was almost as exciting as the prospect of seeing her parents later that day.

"Wonderful!" he exclaimed as he crouched down. The Prince was so tall, even crouched, that he had to help her climb up. "Now, hold on tight. I would hate for you to fall and get hurt."

"Okay!"

"Are you ready?"

"Let's go!" she shouted just before her uncle dove into the water sped toward the waterfall ahead.

Chapter Text

"Hello dear," she replied warmly as Alolu crashed into her legs, wrapping her small arms around her mother as best she could. "I'm happy to see you as well."

The girl flashed her a toothy grin before breaking away and returning to the pot.

"How was it?" her father asked quietly as he turned his attention to her mother.

"It was nice to finally be able to enjoy Sidon and my father's company without also contending with the council," Mipha sighed as she sat down next to Link.

Her father made a noise deep in his throat to express his agreement. That was all that Alolu really heard of the conversation as she noticed that the chocolate was almost completely melted. She began to bounce up and down as she realized how just how little time was left to wait. The girl looked up when she heard a snort, finding that both of her parents were watching her. She blushed as she realized they had broken from their conversation watch her. Normally, she wouldn't have been embarrassed by such a thing, but the fact that she had been unaware of their watching was what she found to be embarrassing.

Still, it wasn't enough to put a damper on her mood, especially as her father finally brought out three mugs, and proceeded to ladle the concoction into two of the mugs. Her bouncing became so intense that she could feel her tailfin bobbing along with her.

Her father eyed Mipha, asking a silent question, to which she responded with a shake of her head. Alolu wasn't sure why he continued to ask her mother year after year if she wanted some of the beverage as the response was always no. The girl would have thought that her mother would have become annoyed by this, but oftentimes she was confused by the interactions of her mother and father. It seemed quite often that her father could say one or two words, yet her mother understood precisely what he meant. At other times, it seemed that they could have an entire conversation just by exchanging a series of looks.

She found again that she didn't care as Link winked at her with no subtlety, leading to Mipha rolling her eyes with a small smile. She didn't understand the message sent between them, but she understood the message sent to her. She would get a part of her mother's share.

Despite the knowledge, Alolu almost sighed as her father set the mugs down on a shelf that was out of her reach. She understood why, but that didn't make it any less annoying. When her father had first given her the drink, she had patiently waited until it was cool enough to drink. Upon her first tasting, she had immediately become enamored with the beverage. The next year, she had been so enthusiastic when it came to drinking it that she had forgotten entirely to wait for it to cool. As a result, she had wound up scalding her mouth and throat. Thankfully, her mother had responded quickly and calmly and had healed her quickly. Ever since that incident, her father had made sure to set it out of her reach until Alolu watched excitedly as her father stirred the contents of the pot above the fire. For as long as she could remember, he would leave the Domain the week before Din's day to buy the ingredients for one of her favorite treats. Every year, on the night before the festival, he would pour cream, sugar, and chocolate into his cooking pot. After that, it became a game of waiting as patiently as she could for the chocolate to melt. Waiting was hard.

She flashed her father a smile as he grinned at her. The girl was aware that he was amused by her impatience, but that didn't bother her. While he found quite a lot of enjoyment in playing pranks on her, he was never mean about it. He didn't laugh because she was upset but because she was excited. She didn't really understand why her parents found her excitement as humorous as they did, but when she asked, her mother had assured her she would understand should she have a child of her own.

The girl looked over her shoulder as she heard footsteps, finding her mother entering the room. "Hi mommy!" it was cool enough to drink. She found it almost insulting as several years had passed since that day, and she was more than capable of the self-control to refrain from drinking too early… probably.

"Is it ready yet?" she asked, trying to keep the impatience she felt out of her voice. She knew they had her best interest at heart, but she was struggling to care at the moment.

Her father reached up, bringing a single mug down. He studied it for a moment before handing it to her. Sometimes, he would hold onto something even as she took hold of it, making it nearly impossible for her to actually take the item. Thankfully, he didn't do that this time.

She took a long, greedy gulp as he took his own mug. Once he had settled back down, Mipha rested her head on his shoulder, silently watching Alolu. "Slow down, dear."

The child heeded her mother's words somewhat, delaying for a few seconds.

"You are your father's daughter." Her mother's voice contained some laughter to accompany the resignation as she looked to her husband, who had just finished his own mug. Her father simply shrugged with a grin as he refilled both mugs and set them back up above. "Not too much. You remember what happened last year."

He nodded, still grinning. "We'll keep it to two."

"But there's more than that," Alolu explained eagerly as she looked at the contents of the pot.

"We'll save it for later."

"That sounds like a wonderful idea. I was very worried when you made yourself sick last year."

The girl frowned as she remembered what happened the year before. Maybe it was a good idea to wait, even if she didn't entirely agree that hot chocolate was to blame for her feeling ill. Then again, her parents did know about quite a lot of things.

Of course, all of her musings were immediately forgotten as her mug was placed back into her hands. The girl forgot about all else except the contents of the mug as she drained it as quickly as her small mouth would allow. Upon finishing, she returned the cup to her father, who placed it on the shelf above.

"Thank you, daddy."

"You're welcome."

Her mother looked between the two for a moment. "Should we give it to her tonight?"

Her father sat in thoughtful silence briefly. "Yeah."

Alolu was about to get up as her parents stood; however, her father motioned for her to stop.

"Wait here and close your eyes."

The girl complied, closing her eyes tight in an effort to keep from peeking. The temptation to open her eyes just a crack was almost overpowering as she hear her parents shuffling around. She could hear them walking back toward her, with something crackling as they came back. She could feel it as something was set beside her.

"You can open now, Alolu."

The girl opened her eyes, finding a large box wrapped in brown paper. She stared at it for a moment, uncertain of what exactly she was supposed to do with it.

"Open it, dear."

Needing no more direction, she used her claws to tear through the paper and rip it aside. Then, she gingerly removed the lid as though she might damage the contents of the box.

Inside was a contraption she had only seen once before. Of course, the design was different, but ultimately, she knew what it was meant to be.

"A saddle?"

"Your father and I had it made so that he could take you riding," her mother explained.

The girl's eyes widened as she looked back down, noticing that it was a double saddle, with the seat in front being significantly smaller than the one in the back. She had always wanted to go with her mother and father whenever they went riding; however, they had never had a saddle that fit her. But now, there was one made just for her and her father.

"I'll take you the day after tomorrow."

"Thank you!" She tried to lift the saddle up but it was too heavy for her to manage.

Her father chuckled as he picked up the present with a single arm and hung it up on the wall off to the side.

"I know you're excited, but I think we should try to get some sleep. Perhaps, if you ask your father nicely, he will tell you a bedtime story."

She looked at her father, clutching her hands together as she looked up at him dolefully. Her father shook his head with a rueful smile on his face. Taking a seat, he motioned for her to climb into his lap. Before settling, she was sure to take hold of his abnormally large fins and wrap herself up. She wasn't sure why, but his fins were always warm and helped her to relax.

Between the belly full of warm chocolate and her warm, makeshift blankets, she was already yawning as her father began reciting a story about a child who sailed across the ocean on a grand adventure to save his sister. As she drifted off though, her mind was only filled with thoughts of horses and the thrills that riding would bring.

Chapter Text

Her father rarely spoke. Unlike her mother and uncle, who would gush about her regularly, Muzu, who had started praising her efforts, or even her grandfather, who was content to talk with her for hours one end, her father would simply sit and smile fondly at her.

According to her mother, this was the way he had been ever since he had chosen the path of being a knight. Even with her mother, he spent more often than not being silent; however, Mipha wasn't bothered by this. Somehow, her mother was capable of deciphering his thoughts even when she couldn't see any change on his face.

In her early years, Alolu hadn't been bothered by her father's near silence, but in recent years, it had weighed heavily on her mind. Was he disappointed?

Was he apathetic toward her?

Did he put up with her out of some sort of obligation?

Would he even miss her if she were to disappear?

When she had brought her concerns to her mother, Mipha had observed her quietly for a long time, much like her own father would. Finally, she gave her daughter a simple set of instructions: to pay attention to how her father interacted with the people around him and contrast those interactions with the way he behaved with Alolu herself.

So, that's what Alolu did. Unfortunately, there was little for her to go off of. While her mother may have been able to spot the intricacies in her father's expressions, she was not. Very often, all she could see was an impassive wall, even when he smiled. It was almost like his face was made of stone.

The only real difference she noticed was that he would hug her mother. Not in public of course, as that would have been frowned upon by the elders, regardless of what anyone, including the King, would have thought.

As she continued trying to make sense of him, she grew increasingly frustrated, both with his apparent lack of understanding of her needs and her inability to communicate with him.

How was she supposed to ask such a personal question of someone made of stone?

Finally, she snapped at him after having enough of the blasted silence. Even as she shouted at him and asked every painful question that had been weighing on her mind, he remained stoic, not showing a hint of pain, remorse, or even sympathy. That made her even angrier, giving her yet another reason to vent.

Her mother, Muzu, her grandfather, even her uncles Sidon and Revali would have cut her off and reminded her to show her father respect. He just stood silently and let her continue her tirade.

In the middle of it all, she began to break down from the frustration, anger, and hurt that he barely saw fit to speak to her, and she looked down as the tears started to flow. That was when her father's golden arms reached out and pulled her into an unexpected hug, surprising her so much that the tears stopped for a moment.

Unlike her mother, his hug was not soft and delicate. Unlike her uncle Sidon, it was not bone crushing and enthusiastic. Unlike her grandfather, it was not enormous and jovial. No, it was rough and strong, with one arm wrapped around her upper back while his other hand was placed on the back of her head. He continued to hold her like that as she cried, as though determined to protect her from the rest of the world if that was what was needed. It reminded her of the nights when she would slip into her parent's bed and wrap herself in his abnormally large fins. Strangely, it was while he was holding her that it finally occurred to her how uncomfortable that must have been for him, yet he had never once complained.

He continued to hold her, setting his cheek on her head as she cried into his shoulder. She wasn't sure how long they spent like that, but through it all, he remained steadfast as always.

When she finally pulled away, he set a hand on her shoulder and looked deeply into her eyes. Alolu had never noticed how deep those blue pools were, how much pain, sorrow, joy, and love they held in them as he looked deeply into her own eyes.

Though the only thing he had said out loud during the entire exchange was a simple "I love you," she found that he had told her a great deal. A great deal which would stay with her decades later.

Her father rarely spoke with words, but that didn't mean he had nothing to say.