Chapter Text
It had been nearly one year since you had started this...endeavour. Surprisingly it had been kept under wraps with little effort.
As a(n) herbalist, the healers of Zora’s Domain had recruited you by chance in their efforts to further their skill & hurry to cure illness with the seasonal flu’s and sickness. The cold from the mountain provinces rushing through all of Hyrule in colder months had not made it easy within the domain. It had skyrocketed the demand for the ingredients needed for medicine which those Zora within the domain could not obtain. This is where you played a vital part. Not only by helping healers, but by chain reaction saving the health of Zora everywhere in the domain. If only they knew a human girl was doing so...
You finished drying and taking down the herb bundles. It was nearing Yaloen which meant the beginning of the much colder months. As of late, the healer who came for deliveries put extreme emphasis on the bearing demand for the required ingredients for medicine. These included roots and herbs such as camomile, rat-root, ginger, and rosemary to name a few.
Finishing up by packing all the required ingredients in a large satchel, along with few fishing tools and bait you hurried along towards the domain from your small hut you called home.
Walking along the dirt path towards the domain, you heard familiar whistling. The Zora healer Dorati was waiting as usual.
Dorati was a deep green Zora with angular features. All in all, he was a handsome Zora man.
“Nice if you to be on time. That doesn’t happen often.” He chuckled keeping his arms crossed.
“Yes yes, I still bring the right things every time don’t I?” You set the pack down pulling out the smaller bags filled with medicine bunches. He took some of each and inspected them.
“How you find these is intriguing, I could never venture out here as long as you do. It’s far too dry and not very..how do I say it?”
“Green? Rough on the feet?”
“Exactly! Well, thank you my little “hylian” it was quite the meeting. I shall see you again in a week. Hila is anxious that some Zorans are figuring out we aren’t the ones supplying the ingredients.”
He hauled the packs over the shoulder and one in his hand. Hila was another one of the older healers he had in his company.
“Hila is overreacting. I’m doing the domain a favour, & I’m happy to. I’m unsure how the population would feel about a lowly human girl helping them though.”
“Humans are rare these days. You’d be easy to spot. In the domain, I’m not sure as how they would react. Surely not as bad as the village in your story?”
This was true. Humans was far rarer than any gem in Hyrule as the population had died out mostly. It was also true that before settling here in the forest a hoard of villagers had found out quite plainly that you were not hylian. This caused a mob to chase you out of town. It seemed racial bias & racism was a bigger threat than your family had warned long ago.
“Um..Yeah. I’ll be here usual time next week. Thank you Dorati.”
“I should be thanking you,”
He turned and smirked glancing back at you as he started walking away.
“After all you are our little saviour!” He called back laughing.
You huffed & picked up your pack starting towards the river on your makeshift trail. It was walked along enough it had a distinct look that set it apart from the other greenery.
Upon reaching the river you set down the blanket and slumped down on it, quickly laying back on it just as fast.
If only I could just catch fish like a Zora..
You wondered. It was something you wondered often as well, which was to say the least futile as it couldn’t happen.
Sitting up and pulling the satchel closer you started anxiously digging through it searching for gloves, a wrap to keep warm, flint, a knife, & the bait you hurried to set up with the fishing rod. Upon finishing setting the fishing rod up you hurried to make a small fire to keep warm.
When the river froze up you’d have to survive on what fish you could catch today, and what was stored and all the food you had harvested earlier in the at home. 2 barrels of potatoes, 1 barrel full to the brim with carrots and turnips, and 2 barrels of salted fish. Hopefully your 3 chickens would keep laying eggs as they should. It would help a great deal to get a cow. Fresh milk would be nice in your tea.
Warming your hands and shuffling your feet against the blanket you sat on proved to keep the chill air at bay. Having caught 3 more fish, you had already set 2 fish to cook over the fire. It smelled wonderful with the spices you rubbed into it. You anticipated the juicy meat and crisp skin of the fish as you hadn’t eaten since breakfast.
A splash on the river turned your head, ready and holding your knife.
I’m getting paranoid..it could’ve been a fish...
It was hard not to be paranoid with your current standing. You leaned back down on the blanket turning your attention back to the fire with the cooking fish, still at tentatively holding the knife. The waters sound moved irregularly which caused you to look again.
“Who’s there!”
A head slowly broke out of the waters surface, undoubtably a Zora. You froze. They watched you with piercing gold eyes; the minor showdown stopped when you furrowed your brows and blinked a few times regaining lost moisture within your eyes.
“You aren’t going to harm me are you?”
Just as quickly as they had arrived, they slunk back into the waters depths. You sighed in relief & sat back down.
Sitting in silence with the same rivers natural sounds as before you took the fish off the fire & took a whiff. It smelled decadent.
A loud noise cut off that thought as something large had leapt from the river breaking the surface. Whoever and whatever it was landed on the other side of the fire, this had caused you to clutch the roasted fish tighter hoping not to drop it.
Kneeling on the other side of the fire was a large Zora with scales as red as the summer sunset. He adorned jewelry and sparse Zora armour on various parts of his body. He looked up at you holding a fish between his mouth & holding one larger one in his hand, it had clearly started dripping blood into the grass and dirt. He took the fish from his mouth, now sitting cross legged across from you. He set the fish down on his lap sighing.
“Thank goodness you simply didn’t try gut me like those on the fire. When you held up that knife I didn’t know what you’d do. Forgive me for startling you.” His eyes were apologetic & his weak smile sincere.
“No no, not at all. Um..Thank you for not harming me as well.”
“I couldn’t imagine it, my dear hylian. Allow me to introduce myself, I am the Prince of the Zora’s, Only son of King Dorephan, Prince Sidon.”
“Your! Your majesty!” You quickly scrambled to kneel and bowed your head parallel with the blanket on the ground.
“No need little hylian. Raise your head. While it is quite honourable of you I need no praise for a title I was born to.”
You looked up at him and weakly smiled. He simply shone a toothy grin capable of dazzling even the most irritatingly pompous man or woman.
“Your majesty, may I ask why I have your company today?”
“Well, truth be told I am searching for a hylian. I have met few in these parts of Hyrule & you seemed to fit the description. You are hylian correct?”
You drew back holding your tongue with disappointing news.
“I am deeply sorry your majesty. But I am not a hylian. I’m afraid to tell you of my origins.”
“If not hylian I would presume a human, yes?”
With uncertainty you looked back to him shocked.
“Yes, I have known all sorts of your species. I have lived enough days to read and hear stories of your kind.”
“Surely not good ones? We are quite the destructive species....” Your voice hushed nearing the end of your own words knowing the truth behind them.
“I do, but I also know the sheer willingness and hope your kind can muster even in the darkest of times. I quite admire it!”
He grinned again. At some point he too had set up the fish to cook it alongside your own.
“Well, thank you. I try not to be as destructive as my ancestors before me.”
“That is noble of you. If I may ask, what is it you are doing so near the domain? Outsiders are known to not be welcomed.”
“Well, since it is you my prince..I make deliveries to the domain. In return I was given a home in the forest & assured safety within the areas surrounding the domain. I beg forgiveness, I shall move if you wish it! I promise..”
You bowed again. He simply chuckled & crossed his arms.
This action had made his muscles appear larger than before which you scarcely noticed. You noticed them now.
“My dear little human, you are welcome to live near the domain of your story is as true as you say. What do you deliver?”
“Well, I actually..help the healers. I pick ingredients for them so they may make medicine. I made a delivery today..I wanted to help in any way I could.”
He beamed & let out an amused laugh.
“My dear little human, you are marvellous! Helping my people in times of need, especially when the colder months are upon us is a grand act of kindness! As thanks, I should bestow this information to my father. Secretly of course. Perhaps you may be bid welcome into the domain so you may meet the Zora’s you have helped.”
He was far too kind. Surely he had a dark side?
“Prince Sidon, I thank you but I am wary. I have had..sour encounters in the past regarding my race.”
“Nonsense my little human. Us Zora’s have a tale of humans aiding my people throughout our history. While many stories are legends there are records of humans aiding us in war, and famine.”
“That’s..that’s so cool! Ah..sorry for my informality.”
“No it is refreshing! I quite enjoy your reaction to this news.”
He chuckled standing up abruptly.
“Where are you going?” You stood up as well noticing the height difference. You stood at level with his chest. He smiled down at you.
“To let my father know of this wonderful news! I’m sure he would welcome you into the domain as you have aided our people. How long have you been doing this again?”
“..a little over a year?”
“Incredible! My little human, I shall return tomorrow at dawn! I look forward to seeing you again! I did not catch your name though?”
“Oh of course! I’m sorry! My name is (y/n) (s/n). Thank you for your company your majesty..”
“Indeed. Enjoy the fish little one!” He jumped into the water quickly making his way to the falls.
Fish..?
As he said, the fish he had caught both were cooked along your self caught meal. It made a smile break on your face to see he had left the fish for you. He was a kind prince, & it overwhelmed you to think he would go to the lengths as he is now to welcome you into his home.
Packing your things again, and eating the cooked fish while heading back home you thought of the prince & how trusting he was in you. That kindness would surely not go unappreciated.
Now to wake up before dawn on the other hand was an entire different story..