Chapter Text
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Sidon often did things that puzzled Link. It could be the smallest things, like a gesture or a phrase or even a look.
It was frustrating sometimes.
A hundred years ago Link might have known a lot about zora culture. Maybe? The memories he had now were so few and far between that they were of little help to him. Not that it did much difference, Link was thinking about the dashing zora prince pretty much all the time anyway. What had started as friendly astonishment had quickly grown into infatuation. And now when calamity Ganon was defeated Link was afraid the frequency of his visits might be pushing the limits of the zoras’ hospitality. But Sidon always welcomed him with such radiant smiles Link simply could not stay away.
Still, he wished he understood more of Sidon’s actions.
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One day Link teleported into Zora’s Domain after an especially hot day of helping out in Gerudo Town, just as the sun was about to set. He was still wearing his Vai outfit as he came up the stairs from the Ne’ez Yohma Shrine and found Sidon standing by Mipha’s statue talking to one of the guards. They seemed to be in quite a heated argument about someone misbehaving at “the circles”.
Link stayed back, so not to interrupt what seemed to be an important discussion, but he was soon spotted by the guard who cut of the end of his sentence when he caught eye of Link. Sidon spun around to see what was the distraction and Link’s heart fluttered with excitement to see how rapidly Sidon’s look of frustration turned to unbridled joy.
“Link! How wonderful to see you! I was hoping you would visit us again soon!” Sidon almost started to walk over to Link but caught himself and turned back to the guard instead.
“Actually, it does not matter in what order we proceed. What is important is that this will not be allowed to happen again. For now we should send down a few guards to show that we are taking this seriously.” he said crossing his arms in a way that signaled that the discussion was over. The guard nodded, seemingly satisfied with the conclusion, and left down one of the nearby waterfalls.
Link looked at Sidon who seemed a bit troubled. His fingers were tapping on his arm. Link took of his veil and walked up to him.
“What’s going on?”
Sidon smiled at him tiredly. “The low tide is coming up and some of the younger zoras seem to have been misbehaving at the circles. People are quite upset. Sadly we are not entirely sure who has done what. None of them are talking.” He ran a hand over his crest distractedly, almost as if he was nursing a headache.
The circles? Link had never heard of them and by now he had the entirety of Zora’s Domain pretty much mapped out. Maybe it wasn’t a place?
“Sidon?” The prince’s amber eyes caught his. “I don’t think I know what the circles are. Could you show me?” Sidons mouth fell open and his eyes grew in surprise. He seemed unable to speak for a few seconds and just stood there and stared at Link while his tail shivered nervously and the fins on his arms unfurled and stretched. Sidon looked torn over how to respond. Link’s heart sank, he seemed to had done a tactless blunder.
“I’m sorry. Was it inappropriate of me to ask?” Sidons hands sprang up in dismay.
“No no no! It’s perfectly fine! I’m sorry! It’s just… You said… But of course i can tell you about the circles. It was thoughtless of me to assume you knew.” He reached out to touch Link’s shoulder but stopped himself at the last moment.
“How about we go somewhere else to talk? Have you had dinner?” Link smiled, relieved that he hadn’t made Sidon upset.
“No, not as of jet. We could eat together.” At that Sidon flashed him one of his signature poses, coupled with a blinding smile, before leading the way towards the royal dining hall.
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After a hearty meal of seafood stew Link leaned back against the wall and sighed contently. Sidon had finished his bowl quicker than Link and was now watching him from across the table, his chin resting on his clasped hands. Under the lull of a full stomach he seemed less princely and more relaxed. Link’s toes tingled a bit at the thought that not everyone might get to see Sidon like this.
But then, from nowhere, Sidon got a different look in his eyes, like a cat eyeing a bird in a tree, and his tail started curving back and forth. His smile suddenly seemed less sleepy and more mischievous. Link felt his pulse pick up.
“So.. The circles?” Link managed under that heavy gaze, almost without his voice wavering. At the mention of the previous subject Sidon seemed to catch himself and straightened up in his chair. Before speaking he ran a hand over his gills to flatten them down.
“Ah, yes. The circles.” Sidon brought his hand to his chin and seemed to contemplate how to start. He glanced back at Link and his gills inflated once more before asking “What do you know about zora mating?”
Link felt like his head simultaneously froze and exploded. Mating? As in sex? Had he really stumbled into a conversation about sex with Sidon? Link couldn't help the red blush that quickly spread to the tips of his ears. Sidon seemed to find his reaction interesting, but before he had time to comment on it Link hurriedly answered “Eggs! Zoras lay eggs, right?”
“Yes, yes you are right. We lay eggs.” Sidon agreed, his eyes were still on the red that tinted Link's face and then they dropped down lower, to his chest. He gestured towards Link.
“Link. Correct me if I’m wrong, but you are male, right?” Link startled a bit at the unexpected question, but looking down at the Vai outfit he was wearing maybe it wasn't so out of the blue. He scratched his head, a bit embarrassed.
“Yeah, I might not look that manly though.” Sidon brought his hands down on the table with force.
“You are incredibly manly! The greatest warrior I have ever met! A force of nature! And your looks are most exquisite.” He exclaimed, almost standing up in his chair. Sidon liked his looks? Link could never get used to Sidon's compliments even though they made him feel like he was glowing inside. They were almost a guilty pleasure, because Link was not so sure that Sidon would dole them out this freely if he knew how Link felt for him.
“I'm also male” Sidon said, like it wasn't obvious, and sat back down.
“But being male or female means something different to zora. Actually all of us can lay eggs or fertilize them. The gender of a zora has more to do with appearance and behaviour. Male zora are the ones who will make and guard the circle.”
“The circles are something you make?” Link asked.
“Well, I'd say the closest comparison would be a nest. You make a circle and then you keep the eggs in it until they hatch. The circles play an integral part in zora culture.” Sidon was running his hand over his gills absentmindedly as he spoke.
This was a lot to take in. All zoras can lay eggs? Even the males? They make nests and guard them? Links head was spinning.
“What do the females do then?” Even though Link's voice was hesitant Sidon smiled brightly.
“An apt question indeed! The females provide for the male while he guards the circle. She will bring him food, armor and weaponry.”
“Armor?” They both fell silent. Armor… like the one Mipha had made for Link. Link wished dearly that he could remember more about her. Had he felt the same way about her? Or had she been pining for him while Link himself was densely unaware? He wasn't sure and it made him feel kind of guilty.
Sidon must have made the same connection because he was looking back at Link with an equally somber expression. They sat in silence for a bit before Sidon cleared his throat.
“Well, anyway, the circles are all located on the bottom of the lake, in the caves below the Ploymus Mountain. A zora will always make his circle in the same cave he was hatched in. That is why any matter relating to the circles is a family matter and very personal.” Link's ears twitched with interest. There were underwater caves below the mountain? And here he had thought that his map was complete.
“I'd love to see the caves. Maybe you could show me?” he asked before considering if that would be appropriate. Sidon froze like a deer, and then swallowed hard. When he opened his mouth to speak nothing came out. Link had done the same blunder once again. He felt like throwing himself from shatter point, but before he could apologize Sidon managed to summon his voice. It came out uncharacteristically weak and shaky.
“Yes… I can. I'll take you to see the… circles.” He looked nervous, his tail was whipping back and forth and the fins on his arms extended from his body, the feeling was infectious. Link bit his lip thinking that what had just happened probably had a deeper significance that he was missing, but he found himself unwilling to back out.
“Thank you. I'll look forward to it.” He said and smiled at Sidon who seemed to inflate before he smiled back brighter than ever.
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They didn't go to the caves that evening. The sun had set long before they left the dining hall and Link was in dire need of a bed, having pulled an all nighter the night before. But Sidon promised that they would go together later and thanked Link for visiting.
As he lay in his bed in the cottage in Hateno Village he thought about the conversation they had had. Yet again a lot of Sidon's actions were puzzling to him. The way he froze up, his obvious nervousness, how he kept touching his gills and the way his tail and fins were moving. Link rubbed his face. He would need to learn more about the circles, so not to upset Sidon again, like had seemingly done today. He could thank Hylia Sidon was so kind and forgiving.
Link rolled over in frustration. The zora prince was so wildly out of his league that it was pathetic.
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