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My love. Betrothed. Fiancé.
Married.
Sidon is getting married.
That can't be right - Sidon hasn't mentioned it. He's never mentioned a childhood friend or an arranged marriage. He's never called someone "my love".
(My greatest friend. My pearl. My champion. Never "my love".)
It can't be right - but why would a stranger lie to him? Her voice is soft and sweet, her expression earnest. Link can admit he's not the best at reading people, but he feels no malice from Yona. Just genuine confusion, concern as she reaches out to him.
"Swordsman?"
He takes a step back, out of her reach - to her credit, she doesn't comment, simply takes her hand back in a graceful movement, and continues as if Link isn't struggling to breathe. As if he doesn't feel like the ground is crumbling below him, as if his heart hasn't just been ripped out of his chest.
The rest of the conversation passes in a blur. He catches most of it - some of it? - Sidon is at Mipha's Court. He's trying to stop the sludge that has taken over Zora's Domain. He'll be happy to see Link.
(Link doesn't want to see him. He wants nothing more than to see him.
If his heart has just been ripped out, why does it hurt so much?)
He thinks he forgets to say thank you for her guidance when he leaves.
--
Sidon doesn't mention it. He's happy to see Link.
(Is he happy? His smile is subdued. Of course that's because of the plague that's fallen over Zora's Domain, but what if it's more?)
He looks wonderful, as always, his new silver accessories shining in the midday sun, casting rainbow reflections on everything around him. He quite literally lights up the world.
When he stops using his powers, just for a moment, to pick Link up into a hug, Link can forget for just a second that nothing about this is right.
–
Everything has been a blur since the upheaval. Zelda and Link, missing. The Domain filled with sludge, slowly suffocating the fish and the frogs and the plants and eventually the Zora themselves. Sidon worries for his friends - of course he does, Link especially - but there is no time for him to aid in the search. With his father away, searching for a solution, Zora's Domain turns to their Prince for guidance. And with the powers he now possesses, he knows he must stay and do what he can for his people.
And then, suddenly, Link has returned. Something is wrong with his favourite Hylian, Sidon knows, his unusual new arm seems to be just the tip of the iceberg.
But once again, there is no time to investigate before Link is running off again, apparently determined to save the Zora once more.
Sidon watches him go, his eyes lingering for far too long even after Link is out of sight, a sigh escaping from his lips unbidden.
Bazz's elbow in his side brings him back to the present, and Sidon turns his attention back to the task at hand. He must keep the waters clear, lest the Domain fall completely to ruin.
---
Link leaves without saying goodbye. It's not that he doesn't want to, but if he stays he's going to do something stupid - like burst into tears or ask Sidon to marry him instead or throw up on someone.
Adrenaline got him through the Water Temple - adrenaline and his unshakeable sense of duty, this feeling of obligation that never seems to be fulfilled. But after? Standing in the centre of Zora's Domain, in front of the statue of himself and Sidon, surrounded by celebration - of the sludge being washed away, of their new King being crowned, of the happy couple - he feels as though he's seconds away from exploding, like his skin can no longer contain everything he's feeling.
He doesn't look at the Purah Pad long enough to see which shrine he chooses as his destination. He doesn't spare Sidon - King Sidon - a second glance. He can't.
It's fine, he tells himself as the familiar feeling of teleportation suffuses his body, Sidon is busy with his new wife. He won't even notice.
Link's knees give out the second his feet touch the ground, and he collapses - boneless, exhausted, heartbroken - into the sand. A strangled, desperate sound escapes his lips without his consent. His voice is hoarse from disuse, and from the well of emotion spilling out of him. It's followed rapidly by tears, a deluge not dissimilar to Vah Ruta's rains - but this time Link doesn't know what to do. He doesn't know how to stop this. How to fix it. He's alone - no Zelda, no Sidon, no Master Sword - and useless.
He stays in a heap on the sand - unwilling or unable to move, he doesn't know - until the sun begins to dip below the horizon and a chill starts to set in. He could stay here, he thinks. Until the tide comes in and washes him out to sea. He could let himself drift until there's nothing left of him but seafoam.
Slowly, he shifts onto all fours, letting his hands sink into the sand, letting the tears continue to flow freely, letting another heart wrenching scream escape - its barely above a whisper, not really a scream at all, but it still leaves him feeling raw and empty - and then gets to his feet.
There are things to do. Hyrule needs him. Zelda needs him. There is yet another duty for Hyrule's Champion to fulfill - there's no time for him to wallow, to mourn what could have been.
(It never could have been, a quiet voice in his mind says, he's a Prince and you're just a Knight. All you've ever been good for is slaying monsters. He has someone that makes sense now. A Zora worthy of him - instead of a broken Hylian with a borrowed arm, a mangled sword, and a lost Princess.)
Link squeezes his eyes shut tight, clenches his hands into fists until his nails bite into his palms. He stands there until he can trust himself not to cry again, then finally looks around.
He doesn't know where he is. A beach, obviously, but where? The body of water he's facing is far too vast to be a lake, so he must be near the ocean. In the middle distance, he sees a pirate ship, the crumbling ruins of a village.
Oh. Lurelin.
Several villagers had told him about the pirates during his travels - Lurelin was on the ever growing list of places that needed his assistance.
Now, he thinks, grabbing the diamond fused spear off his back and lamenting the loss of the Master Sword once again, is as good a time as any to help.
–
It isn't until after the water temple, after awakening as a Sage, after being crowned King - him! King! - that Sidon even knows Yona has come to his Domain. He's unsure of what brings her to the domain - although he's happy to see her, of course.
Ah! She must be here to provide aid to those who have fallen ill from the sludge. Her powers are nothing to shake a stick at, and Sidon is immediately grateful for her presence. She may not have been able to purify the water, but she had taken care of his people in his stead.
He turns to Link, ready to introduce his childhood friend to his dearest companion, but finds that the Hylian is no longer at his side. A scan of the crowd below reveals a flash of blonde hair, and a familiar blue shimmer as Link apparently teleports away.
Despite the celebration, Sidon allows his shoulders to slump, and feels his heart sink.
Of course, he shouldn't be greedy. Link is obviously busy with his search for the Princess, and his assessment of the damage done by the Upheaval.
Still, Sidon wishes he could have said goodbye.
--
It's not until all the monsters are gone - dead at his feet, vanishing in puffs of smoke and leaving behind only their blood and horns - that Link stops to take in the carnage around him. He may have gone overboard. He doesn't remember the fight - he remembers letting rage, white hot and all consuming, wash away his grief. He remembers blood spraying onto his face and clothes, the feeling of his blade slicing through flesh and bone. He remembers, just for a second, forgetting about his battered and bruised heart.
He doesn't notice his audience until someone taps him on the shoulder. It's only years of carefully perfecting his Silent Knight persona that stops him from jumping out of his skin.
"Link!" Bolson's familiar voice greets him. Link can't quite manage a smile as he turns to face him. "You were incredible, as always, honey!"
There's an older man standing next to him that Link doesn't recognize, but the beaming smile on his face tells him enough. He must be one of many who call Lurelin home.
"Thank you for taking care of the pirates," He says, and Link simply nods.
Bolson is staring at him, giving him a look that makes Link want to fidget. He tightens his grip on his spear instead, feeling the rough shaft against his blood soaked fingers.
"Rozel, why don't you start making a list of repairs, hm? I, of course, will take charge of the rebuilding project once you're done."
Rozel nods - he looks exhausted, but grateful.
"I can't thank either of you enough-"
Bolson waves him off with one hand, the other landing firmly on Link's shoulder. He doesn't flinch, but it's a near thing.
"I'm not just a pretty face, you know, I'm a master carpenter, too! No need to thank me for doing what I'm good at." He winks at Rozel, then gently shoos him away.
His other hand stays on Link's shoulder, and Link stands stock still under its weight. With the battle done and the adrenaline fading for the second time that day, he's once again exhausted. So tired he feels it all the way to his bones.
"Link-" Bolson starts, leaning in close until he can catch Link's gaze under his hood. "What happened?"
–
Sidon should not be surprised to find Yona sitting at Mipha's Court when he ascends the waterfall, the moonlight guiding his way. They were not much more than tadpoles the last time they met, but it seems that Yona still knows him very well.
She offers him a sweet smile as she pats the space next to her, inviting him to sit.
"What troubles you, my king?"
But Sidon isn't sure where to start.
He knows now that she did not come here just to offer aid - no, she was sent to fulfill her duty and honor the marriage that had been arranged between them as children - and it seems somehow inappropriate for him to share his thoughts with his future wife.
Then again, who else would he share with?
(He sees Link, sitting at the edge of the reservoir, shoes and socks removed, feet kicking slowly through the water. He sees golden locks, shining in the sun, eyes so blue they put the reservoir itself to shame. His bright smile rivaling the glow of the luminous stones. His hands moving as he asks Sidon a question, "What's wrong?")
Yona is silent while he gathers his thoughts, patient as he remembers her, even as a child, and listens closely as he explains.
"I fear something is troubling a dear friend, and I do not know how to help. In truth, it is unlikely he needs my support! He is a strong and competent warrior - and of course it is my responsibility to remain here and take care of my people! However, I cannot help but worry."
She smiles at him then, and he gets the feeling that she knows something he does not.
--
Link doesn't know why he tells Bolson. He can't even say he feels better after getting it out - sitting next to a fire, signing slowly and then frantically, stubbornly wiping away his tears before they have a chance to fall.
When he's done, Bolson stares at him for a long time. Link gets the feeling that even if Bolson didn't catch all of his sloppy signs, he understands the gist of it. He understands the fatigue, the feeling that shards of his heart are rattling around in his ribcage, threatening to cut their way out at any time.
Link stares into the fire instead of returning the look. He doesn't know what Bolson sees in him. He doesn't know what he'll see if he looks back. He doesn't care. He wants to sleep for another hundred years. He wants to run off into the night. He wants to find Ganondorf and tear him to pieces with his bare hands. He wants Zelda back. He wants-
Bolson slings an arm around Link's shoulders and tugs him close. Surprised, Link let's it happen and tumbles into the embrace, his head thumping lightly against Bolson's chest.
"Oh, honey-" He says, his fingers sliding into Link's tangled hair. "He doesn't deserve you."
--
Link spends the next week helping with repairs in Lurelin - gathering wood and rice and anything else Bolson deems necessary - during the day, and listening to stories of heartbreak around the fire at night. It seems every adult in Lurelin - and a few of the younger people, too - has loved and lost.
Link doesn't think it's really the same - after all, he and Sidon weren't together. Link has never even told him he likes him, let alone that he loves him in an all consuming way he doesn't have the words or signs to explain. They're friends, that's all. And perhaps after everything, they aren't even that.
Maybe one day they can be, but not now. Not when Link's heart aches like a physical wound, not when he sometimes feels the pain is so intense he should be coughing up blood.
Still, he can appreciate what Bolson is trying to do for him. The sense of community he gets from the villagers isn't nothing.
–
There's much work to be done in the Domain, and even with his father back, most of it now falls on Sidon's shoulders. He longs for a moment to slip away, to write a letter or to ask if anyone has seen Link - but no such reprieve comes. He works diligently through the day, and by the time he returns to his chambers in the evening, he is too tired to do more than fall into his sleeping pool and into a restless sleep.
His dreams are filled with disjointed images and feelings, things he cannot quite grasp, but that leave him with a bone deep longing when he wakes.
In his stead, he sends a group of warriors to Lookout Landing to help defend the area and watch the castle for signs of trouble. It is a poorly kept secret that he also asks them to report on Link's whereabouts and well being, and he cannot help but be disappointed when they also do not see him.
--
Riju knows something is wrong. She's kind enough not to say anything, even after they conquer the Lightning Temple and she awakens as a sage.
Tulin, caught up as he is in the chance to be a hero, doesn't notice. Link is fine with that.
If Yunobo notices, he also decides not to mention it. He does hug Link a little too tight when it's time for him to leave Goron City, but Link doesn't complain.
--
A group of Zora has moved into Lookout Landing. He sees them when he teleports to the Skyview Tower there, and he leaves again before he's even fully materialized. He can't.
Not now.
--
Exploring the Depths should have been safe, aside from the Gloom infected monsters. There's no one but Yiga and a few brave researchers in the dark expanse. Nothing to remind him of what he's lost - what was taken from him.
(No, he reminds himself, Sidon was not yours.)
Seeing the first Zora statue feels like a punch in the gut.
He makes a wide circle around it, ignoring the second one he sees in the distance, and continues in a different direction.
--
Concerningly, the next thing he hears is that Link was spotted diving into a chasm full of Gloom.
Sidon has both lungs and gills through which to draw oxygen - he is in his element both above and below water - there is no reason for his chest to feel so tight, for his vision to swim as his breaths come more shallowly.
He is on his knees in the fountain of Mipha's Court when Yona finds him. He is not sure how he ended up here, or how long it has been.
She places a delicate hand, a healer's hand, on his shoulder and he suddenly longs to feel strong, calloused hands on his skin so strongly he feels dizzy.
"My King," She says, her voice gentle and soothing, as if Sidon is no more than a tadpole crying for their mother. "I think it's time we talked."
–
He's not sure how he made it into the Korok Village in the centre of the Lost Woods - it's easy to get turned around in the Depths - but he's glad he did. The Deku tree is sick, the Koroks seem frozen in time.
He loses himself in another battle - striking down the grasping hands that emerge from the Gloom, letting that rage blaze through him again as he faces Ganondorf's phantom.
When he emerges from inside the Deku tree to see both he and the Koroks have recovered, he feels lighter than he has in weeks.
He spends a few days with the Koroks, helping them with various tasks throughout their woods, silently accepting the rocks and leaves and mushrooms they bring him as gifts. Their small gestures of kindness help to fill in some of his cracks.
–
Retrieving the Master Sword nearly kills him. He nearly lets it.
This time, it's not duty that saves him. It's the feeling that Zelda is one half of his soul, and his stubborn refusal to die before he knows she's safe.
He stands on the Light Dragon's back, the Master Sword in one hand, petting her golden hair with the other.
"I'm going to fix this." He promises, his quiet voice carried away by the wind.
He's going to find a way to get her back. If that's the thing that kills him, then so be it, but he will not give up until she's herself again.
--
The Zora are still there when he returns to Lookout Landing. He watches them train from across the courtyard, and feels like a coward when he can't bring himself to approach them.
Sidon's not with them, obviously. He's busy with his kingdom and his-
He's not there. Link shouldn't be afraid to talk to the other Zora. He doesn't recognize them all, but that's no excuse.
He turns away without greeting them, climbing the stairs to talk to Purah about his findings.
Maybe next time, he thinks, rubbing his chest above his aching heart, he'll be strong enough.
--
He hasn't summoned Sidon's avatar. He wonders if Sidon can tell.
--
Link hasn't summoned his avatar once.
The Zora at Lookout Landing have caught nothing more than glimpses of him.
Sidon's heart feels more fragile by the day.
–
He knows it's not Zelda. The Light Dragon is still making her way around the skies of Hyrule.
The figure in the castle is a fake. An imposter. A puppet.
She may share Zelda's face and voice and figure, but she can't replicate her aura. She can't look at Link the way the real Zelda does.
Still, watching her crumple and hang limply in the air like a doll makes him sick to his stomach.
She's not real. She's not real. She's not real.
It's actually a relief when Ganondorf discards the broken puppet and instead attacks Link with more phantoms. This he can do.
With the Master Sword in his hand, her blade glowing brightly and her power thrumming through him, he feels unstoppable. Together, they cut through the phantoms like a knife through butter, until all that's left is the grotesque image of the real Ganondorf.
Link grits his teeth and tightens his grip on his sword. He won't lose. He can't lose.
The sudden blast of dark energy catches him off guard. He brings the Master Sword up in front of him, trusting that she'll protect him, but this time she's not needed.
Fire. Lighting. Air. Water.
Power surrounds him, spreads out in front of him and deflects Ganondorf's attack. The demon king himself fades away shortly after, leaving Link with a bad taste in his mouth.
Link sheathes the Master Sword, silently thanking her, and turns to face his friends.
Yunobo, Riju, Tulin and...
He can't look at Sidon. He gets as far as his wrists, adorned with silver jewelry, Mipha's spear in one hand, before he has to look away.
He's not ready. He wasn't expecting Sidon to be here. He hasn't been to the domain since-
He signs a thank you to the four of them, avoiding eye contact with all of them because he doesn't want to know if they've noticed that something is wrong. He can't talk about it. He's not ready. He may never be ready.
–
Link is silent. Subdued. His shoulders are hunched, his head bowed just slightly. He's avoiding eye contact, not engaging in the conversation. Sidon isn't sure if anyone else can tell, but he's shifting just slightly from foot to foot - fidgeting in a way that is not like him.
Sidon simultaneously feels crowded by Link's presence, and like an entire ocean separates them.
He wants nothing more than to close that distance. He wants to take Link into his arms, hold him closely, touch his beautiful, scarred skin and listen to his heartbeat - to remind himself that Link is alive and well and changed, yes, but still Link.
And since his conversation with Yona, he understands there are many things that can no longer go unsaid.
His stomach is filled with minnows, and he cannot identify their source. Grief, at the vast expanse between them? Elation, at the chance to finally speak? Anxiety - wondering what Link will say in return?
--
He just needs to make it through this one conversation. He just needs to focus on Purah, to forget the sages and their companions surrounding him. He doesn't need to look at anyone else. Purah will explain the plan and then he'll be able to leave and-
Suddenly he's alone and Sidon is standing in front of him, close enough to touch and Link wants to throw up. He bites the inside of his cheek hard enough to draw blood. He doesn't look up.
Sidon kneels in front of him.
"Link, my friend-"
Link is a coward. Sidon reaches for his hand and Link recoils so harshly he actually stumbles backwards. He can't do this.
He shakes his head. Tears well up in his eyes. He frantically mashes the screen of his Purah Pad, trying to pick a shrine - any shrine - and get out of here.
"Please." Sidon's voice breaks on the word, and Link feels like his barely mended heart is shattering all over again. This isn't what he wants. He just needs space. He doesn't want Sidon to hurt.
(Yes you do, a tiny, vindictive part of his mind thinks. Shouldn't he hurt like you do?)
Sidon continues without waiting for a response, doing what Link couldn't and reaching out again. He takes Link's hands in his, covering them completely, holding him firmly, but gently.
Link could get away.
Sidon would let him go, he knows.
But he doesn't want to.
And he doesn't have the strength.
He doesn't resist when Sidon tilts his chin up with one hand, and once he's made eye contact he finds he can't look away. There's a lump in his throat and butterflies in his stomach and he's not sure what he's feeling, other than that if Sidon let's go he's going to fall to pieces.
"My dearest friend," Sidon's voice is so soft, barely heard over the sounds of Lookout Landing. Link suddenly feels like a frightened horse someone is trying to soothe. "Please tell me what I have done wrong. Why have you been avoiding me?"
This is all wrong. Sidon wasn't supposed to notice. He was supposed to be busy and happy with his Kingdom and his-
Link opens his mouth, fully intending to answer, he thinks. His voice fails him - it's been unreliable since as far back as he can remember, but never around Sidon. It's another wedge between them - another way he's failed.
With Sidon still holding his hands, he can't sign, either. He shakes his head, finally tearing his eyes away from Sidon's, unable to hold his gaze anymore.
Sidon seems to realize the problem, and he releases Link's hands with a quiet, "I'm sorry."
With his hands free, Link suddenly has no idea what to say. He signs without really thinking about it, his movements jerky and stiff.
Nothing. Busy.
He tries to smile, but judging by the frown he gets in return, it's not convincing. Still, it's the best he can do.
(Yona and her sweet smile flash through his mind. Yona and her lovely voice, her refined way of speaking.)
"You know if there is something I can do to relieve your burden, I will do so without hesitation."
Link knows that's impossible. He also knows Sidon is telling him the Goddess' honest truth. If it were in his power to make Link feel better, he would do it.
There's no way Link can ask for what he wants. No way Sidon would be able to give it to him if he did.
He thinks of Zelda, of the way she could smile like the sun - bringing light and warmth to everyone - in every situation. He takes a deep breath, imagines he can feel her by his side, and manages a passable smile.
I know, he signs to Sidon, holding the smile until his face hurts, until Sidon finally relaxes, if only a little.
"Of course you do not need my assistance!" He says, a little too jovially, giving Link a smile that's all teeth. "I will not keep you my- ...Link. I am sure you have many duties to attend to!"
He hesitates, Link's smile slips.
"Will you come to see me in the Domain? When you are free?"
Link's palms are itchy. He longs to hold the Master Sword, to swing her blade through the flesh of some unlucky monster.
He nods, just once.
"Then I will take my leave! The sooner I stop distracting you, the sooner I may see you again!"
--
None of that is what he wanted to say, what he'd planned, what he and Yona had spoken about - but when faced with Link, given the chance to finally speak to him, all of his thoughts had fled his mind and left him with only his heart, with its cracks and fraying edges.
He stands on a balcony at Lookout Landing, staring at the floating castle in the distance, and allows himself a moment to weep, uncaring if Muzu or the soldiers see.
He tells himself that Link is simply busy - of course he is, he has his own responsibilities, other people he cares for - he cannot spend every spare moment he has with Sidon.
Nothing is wrong.
Everything is normal.
Link's absence has not left an unceasing ache in Sidon's chest. His refusal to speak to Sidon - to share his thoughts and fears and honest emotions - does not cut like a knife.
He is not losing his beloved friend, his greatest love, the light of his life.
He tries to believe that, as he remembers how Link recoiled and curled in on himself and all but fled as soon as he was able.
This, Sidon thinks, is what drowning must feel like.
–
Kakariko village has changed - not just because of the ruins. It feels strange to step foot into the chief's residence, a place he always thought of as Impa's home, to see she's not there.
Not every change is easy, but Paya speaking to him without stuttering or hiding her face is a welcome one.
She'll be a good leader, he knows.
--
Link has never considered himself to be a teacher - he'd tried to teach Zelda to cook, once, the resulting meals had been dubious at best - but the school in Hateno seems to appreciate his help. He's not really teaching, he thinks, just supplementing Symin's lessons.
Still, seeing the bright smiles on the children's faces is a balm on his frazzled nerves.
He's always liked Hateno - Zelda has too. He's glad to see it thriving.
He spends the night in her house - his house? Their house? - curled up into the smallest ball he can manage in her bed - their bed? There are pieces of her left all around Hyrule, evidence of her life and her impact. Link has never felt more lonely.
–
Hudson and Rhondson are so happy together. Their daughter is a ray of light, shining on them both.
Seeing them together makes Link feel sick, and then feeling sick makes him feel worse - because who is he to begrudge them their happiness?
He wants to be happy for them - to celebrate the town’s growth, their business, their lovely family - but some days it feels like there isn’t enough room in his heart anymore. Like the cracks have spread and worsened and now everything he wants to contain is spilling out.
He stays because he can’t leave Mattison without helping her, and then because Rhondson insists on giving him a “Dream Home”. She won’t take no for an answer.
He decides not to tell her he can’t stand to set foot inside the beautifully furnished residence.
--
This is the longest he's been away from Zora's Domain in actual years.
(He filled his days with slaying monsters, freeing Divine Beasts, searching for a Princess he loved with all his heart but couldn't remember - and his nights with the sound of gently flowing water, the glow of luminous stones, and the warmth of Sidon's hand in his.)
If he doesn't focus, if he allows his mind to wander and his feet to run on autopilot, he always finds himself in Lanayru. Even Epona seems to know their destination, pulling at her reins and leading him down the familiar path.
(Even after defeating the Calamity, when he spent most of his time following Zelda - making sure she didn't slip through his fingers again, making sure she didn't have to do anything alone unless she chose to - he always found time for Sidon.)
Every road leads him back there.
He dreams of Sidon. Sometimes happy to see him, sometimes giving him a heart broken look, asking why Link refuses to speak to him, sometimes out of reach, hand in hand with his wife, happy without Link.
Despite his best efforts, despite the time and the distance, he can't rid himself of Sidon.
Some days, he wants nothing more than to run to the Domain, straight into Sidon's arms, to kiss him and hope that's enough to say everything he can't put into words.
But Yona has done nothing wrong. It isn't her fault that Link can't get over these feelings. She doesn't deserve him coming in to try to pry them apart.
And even if she did, even if Sidon returned Link's feelings, he would never break her heart.
Sighing, Link tugs harder at Epona's reins until she finally turns with a loud huff, and takes him in the direction of Hyrule castle.
Maybe once he defeats Ganondorf, once Zelda is herself again, he'll find the courage to get over this.
--
Sidon has not stopped thinking, fighting through his head feeling as though it's been stuffed with cotton, since he spoke to Yona days prior, since his disastrous conversation with Link not long after. He's continued to work, obviously, going through the motions because there are things that need to be done and because he fears if he stops he will never be able to start again.
Does he really-? And how did Yona know this before him? Did others know? Bazz has been giving him pointed looks for an awful long time, if he stops to think about it.
He needs to speak to his father, but what will he say? Surely, Muzu will not approve.
But then - Sidon is king now, is he not? Should he not be able to make his own decisions, when they are about his life alone and will not impact his people?
(Does everything not impact his people, now that he is their King? Perhaps he is not being as selfless as he should be.)
Once more he finds himself standing in front of Mipha's statue, without knowing how he got there. His feet often take him here when he needs her support, before he even knows he needs it. Her peaceful face brings a wave of calm over him, and he allows himself to breathe deeply for the first time in what feels like months.
He sits with her, explains to her his feelings and his fears and - despite the way he knows she felt about Link a hundred years ago - he thinks that she is on his side. For just a moment, it's as if she is actually standing in front of him, petting his fins and telling him he can be anything he wants when he grows up.
After that, speaking with his father is easy. He strides into the throne room, his head held high, his hands clenched into fists at his sides, ready to speak his mind.
But he doesn't have to.
The Exalted Dorephan takes one look at his son, smiles widely and says, "An arranged political marriage is a little archaic, don't you think?"
His smile only widens when Sidon says nothing, just gapes like a fish out of water.
"My son," Dorephan continues, both of them ignoring the way Muzu is spluttering. "I have not seen you nearly so sad since we lost your dear sister. If this will make you smile once more, who am I to deny you your happiness?"
–
Sidon is a creature of the land and of the sea - the darkest, deepest reaches of the ocean do not frighten him, nor do the creatures that inhabit them. Being in the Depths beneath Hyrule is not like that at all.
The Gloom spread across what seems like every inch of the ground makes his skin crawl. The howls of distant monsters have him clutching his trident - Mipha’s trident - more tightly in his hands.
Link is down here, he reminds himself once more. He will not be cowed by the self-proclaimed Demon King and his army. He - along with Riju, Yunobo and young Tulin - is here to help Link, to honor the vow made by his ancestors, and the one he made not long ago, kneeling in front of Link and holding his small hands in his own.
Ganondorf will not win. Link will prevail.
Sidon knows in his heart that this is true, and that he would give his own life to ensure it.
–
Seeing Link carried off in the jaws of a massive dragon - the Demon King turned into a beast, the wild embodiment of his evil power - is quite possibly the most frightening thing Sidon has ever seen.
For the first time, he genuinely fears that Link may not survive this.
And there is nothing he can do but watch.
–
Is it adrenaline that makes his heart beat fast, or is this just the effect Sidon has on him? Is he simply too tired to ache at Sidon’s nearness, or is the pain of his broken heart hidden within a body that feels like one giant bruise?
Or is he finally okay, finally ready to accept that Sidon will never be anything but a dear friend?
Unlikely.
He feels Zelda at his side, her fingers just barely brushing his - like she, too, is afraid that if they get any farther apart, one of them will slip away again.
“King Sidon.” She greets, and Link can hear her smiling, though she’d been crying only moments ago, saying goodbye to Mineru. Her fingers slip between his, her hand gripping his tightly - she has more callouses than he remembers.
Something in Sidon’s face changes, so quickly that Link can’t place it before it’s replaced by his toothy grin. Link feels a sharp pang in his chest, and understands that his heart will always have room for Sidon.
He doesn’t hear the rest of their conversation, caught up as he is with the way the sunlight turns Sidon’s eyes to liquid gold, the way Zelda’s hand squeezes his own.
–
Link feels Zelda's breath on his face, pressed close as he is - a necessity, to share the single bed in her Hateno house.
He can’t sign, with his hands both held between hers. After everything that has happened since the Upheaval, he doesn’t have the energy to speak, not even to her. He can barely see her in the darkness of the room, despite being nearly nose to nose.
His eyes are already closing - he doesn’t want to fight anymore.
–
He doesn't know who woke from their nightmare first - him or Zelda - but he spends the rest of the night crying in her arms.
He tries to tell her, he really does - "I love you" "I missed you" "I failed you" - but all that comes out is, "I'm sorry - I'm so sorry."
She holds him just as tightly as he clings to her, her tears dampening his hair.
–
They don't talk about it in the morning.
As before, Zelda does not want to waste time taking care of herself - there are things that need to be done, people who need her help.
As before, Link vows to stay by her side.
–
There will always be things to do - a Domain full of people who need his support and guidance, elders impressing their agenda on him, monsters encroaching despite the Demon King being defeated. There will always be reasons to put this off, to wait until tomorrow, until this whole relationship is made of tomorrows, until there are no tomorrows left.
Sidon decides that he is tired of making excuses, tired of waiting, tired of longing.
He leaves for Hateno before the sun even rises - this cannot wait until tomorrow.
–
"What in Hylia's name happened between you and Sidon?"
"He's getting married. He didn't even tell me."
Link feels Zelda's eyes on him. He doesn't have to look to know she's frowning. This isn't the first time she's asked him. He knows he can't avoid the conversation forever, she's not going to let him make excuses for much longer, even if they are true.
But he feels almost normal, now, with her back, with the demon king defeated - he doesn't want to jeopardize that.
One day, he tells her and himself, he'll return to Zora's Domain. To Sidon.
For now, can't it be good enough to tend to the school garden in Hateno?
"She thinks it's going to be easy." He tells the dog watching him work - his voice rough, but slowly improving. "She thinks I'm a coward."
"I didn't say that!" He hears the way she's scowling. He shrugs. Whether she said it or not, it's the truth. He's okay with it, he thinks.
She quiets. Link digs. The dog watches.
"Perhaps it was a misunderstanding."
Link snorts, something like a laugh but not quite there, something with sharp edges.
"What, like he accidentally got married?"
He winces as soon as he says it - he didn't mean to snap at her - but when he looks over his shoulder, she's still just watching him fondly. She doesn't pity him, he knows, she just wants him to be happy - the same thing he wants for her.
He lowers his head again, gentling his touch as he tucks a seedling into the dirt. He knows she's not going to let him wiggle out of this one.
"What do you want me to say?" He continues quietly, looking at the seedling and the dog and his mud caked hands - anything to not meet her steely gaze again. It's hard to say no to her, when she looks at him like that.
"Hey, King Sidon, we've only ever been best friends, and I know your sister had feelings for me a hundred years ago, but I really hoped you'd like to kiss me some time?"
Zelda says nothing. Link shakes his head.
"It's a real bummer that you've been engaged this whole time and never thought to mention it? I'm sure she's great and she makes you happy and that's great for you! But damn, why couldn't it be me?"
It's hard to stop, once he's started, and soon there are tears falling to the overturned earth - the first water these plants will receive.
"Hey, I know you're getting married to your childhood love or whatever, but I think I might love you-" He chokes, another sound that's not quite a laugh escapes. "Would you consider marrying me instead?"
Footsteps approach. He expects Zelda, for her familiar hand to settle over his.
Instead, a clawed red hand - webbing between the fingers, intricate jewelry snaking from hand to wrist and further - covers one of his, stilling him where he's squeezing the poor seedling much too tightly. Link's heart skips a beat.
His mind is running too fast - what did Sidon hear? Why is he in Hateno? Why didn't Zelda warn him? What is he supposed to say? - for him to process. He's silent for far too long.
Is it his hand trembling, or Sidon's?
"Link." Sidon's voice is colored by some emotion Link doesn't know how to name, something he doesn't dare try to understand. If he gets his hopes up, it will be that much harder when Sidon let's him down.
"Link." He repeats, and Link realizes he's still staring at Sidon's hand.
"You're not wearing a wedding ring." He blurts out, not at all what he meant to say - but then, what did he mean to say? He doesn't even know if Zora exchange wedding rings. Sidon is usually decked out in multitudes of jewelry and Link can't even begin to explain their meanings.
He thinks he hears Zelda sigh - he can't be sure, with his blood rushing so loudly in his ears.
"Why would I be? I am not married."
Link's head snaps up so quickly he feels something crack. He meets Sidon's eyes for what feels like the first time in a millenia, finding no deceit there. All he sees is-
He swallows, clears his throat, croaks out, "What?"
Sidon smiles, something soft and sad and delicate. He tucks a piece of hair behind Link's ear, claws brushing oh so gently, and Link can't help the tears that continue to fall.
"Link. My dearest friend, my beloved companion," He takes a deep breath, Link feels his gills flare under his fingertips and realizes he's holding on to Sidon in return. "I am truly sorry for any harm I may have caused you-"
Link opens his mouth to respond, but Sidon continues determinedly.
"I am sorry, my pearl, though it was never intentional. It is true that Yona and I were once arranged to be wed, but that is no longer the case. For you see, my heart belongs to another."
Link sobs, the sound escaping without his permission, and Sidon's free hand cups his cheek.
"I love you, Link. I think it has always been you - since you first came to my Domain and helped to quell Vah Ruta. You saved my people, my home, without a second thought, and never expected anything in return." Sidon is smiling wider now, something Link feels is more genuine, closer to the smile he has always looked forward to. "And then you continued to come back to see me, never asking for more than my companionship."
Link lifts his other hand, placing it over Sidon's and covering them both in mud.
"I am so sorry, my love, that it took me so long to realize what I was feeling, and that my ignorance has hurt you."
Tears are welling in Sidon's eyes now, too, and that's not right, Link can't let that happen.
"Sidon-" He rasps - he's wanted to say this for so long. "I love you."
Sidon's grin widens, showing off all his teeth, even as his tears begin to fall.
"Did you mean what you said before? That you wish for me to kiss you?"
He barely has a chance to finish the question before Link is scrambling to his feet, throwing himself into Sidon's arms and kissing him frantically. It's messy, uncoordinated, and they soon find themselves both lying in the dirt, Link settled on Sidon's chest.
Sidon, looking more disheveled than Link has ever seen him, his cheeks flushed darkly.
"I will take that as a yes."
"Tell me," He's begging, he thinks, and he cannot find it in him to feel badly about it. "Say it again, please."
"I love you." Sidon repeats, and Link has no choice but to kiss him.
Soft laughter draws his attention moments before a familiar hand settles on his shoulder. Link pulls himself away from Sidon, turning to Zelda with a bright grin stretching across his face.
"You were right." He admits, not feeling the slightest bit unhappy about being wrong.
She tugs gently at his bangs, rolling her eyes fondly. "Of course I was."
Sidon makes a considering noise, his hand settling next to Zelda's on Link's back, and he suddenly realizes -
They're going to need a bigger bed.