"What are you doing?!" Mipha's roar was all ferocity and all violence, and all three boys freeze at the sound of it.

Revali was mid-air, three arrows notched and tips sparking with electricity in his bow. Link stood with his feet apart and blade at the ready, broken shafts littering Medoh's surface around him like snow. Daruk was balanced precariously on one foot, hands spread in the beginnings of a thunderous clap.

"…Training?" Revali's excuse fell pathetically flat, but the sound of it spurred the boys into action. They lowered their weapons and returned to Medoh's surface, though only Daruk looked sheepish. Link looked disappointed, on the verge of protest, and Revali was studiously ignoring her eyes.

"You are trying to kill Link." She hissed, tail whipping sharply through the air as she jabbed her trident at the Rito. He held his wings up in protest, and then seemed to realize that he was still holding his bow and dropped it as if it is on fire.

"We are competing. I told him he couldn't beat me in a fight, and Daruk pointed out that we fight too differently to go head-to-head."

"Yeah, the little guy's doing fine, Mipha! He's knocked every arrow Revali's shot right out of the sky!"

Revali's head snapped around and his beak clacked dangerously as he glared at the Goron, but he was wise enough to not say a word.

Mipha closed her eyes for a moment, and turned to face Daruk.

"I expected more from you! You are supposed to be a champion! In charge of Hyrule's safety! And you let this dry-scaled wet-feathered prick try to kill the only chance we have against the Calamity?!"

Revali squawked in indignation, but he didn't seem to know what to do with himself. If it were Link yelling, he would have snarked back. Urbosa, he would have sulked. Daruk would have said it good-naturedly, and Revali would have responded in kind. Mipha, though? He had no idea and his wingtips fluttered anxiously as he struggled with that.

Link caught her trident before she could stab Daruk, pulling it from her as he drew her into a hug.

He started drawing letters onto her skin, and Mipha held her anger in check long enough to decipher what he was trying to say.

And then had to pretend she was only hugging Link back and not like she was turning to jelly at how sweet he was being.

He told her that he was having fun, that Revali was too. That they were training and practicing and goofing off and would she please just let them continue, and please sit down with Urbosa and watch. And that she was the most beautiful, sweetest person he knew and he appreciated how protective she is of him.

Wait.

"Ur—" She turned, shock giving her back her strength as she pulled out of Link's embrace and stared at a canopy set up a ways away. And Urbosa reclining amidst a mountain of blankets and pillows.

"Where is Princess Zelda?" Mipha took the time to ask, trying to reorder her thoughts.

Urbosa knew? Urbosa had been watching? She'd been letting Revali be a bastard, bully Link?!

"In the control room. She said she wanted to know why Medoh choses to protect the Rito or some such. Clearly it's because we are the finest archers in Hyrule and Medoh appreciates that—but you know how she is." Revali sighed, waving a wing vapidly in the general direction of 'below'.

Link's fingers started to move again, asked if it was okay if they went back to practicing.

Mipha melted at that. Again.

He was having fun, here. Being shot at as if he were a target. She was furious with Revali—the Rito had not done it because it was fun, no matter what Link said—but Link…he looked so excited, so vibrant. It was rare to see now. Had been nearly nonexistent if they weren't alone, or he wasn't home with her, since even before he had pulled the Master Sword from its pedestal.

And she knew how desperately he needed that. She wouldn't be the one to take it from him.

"…Alright. But be careful. And if anything happens to him, Revali, I will hurt you." Mipha added, though she did put away her trident and allow Link to lead her to where the Gerudo Champion relaxed.

He pressed a kiss to her temple, out of sight from the boys—though in full view of Urbosa—before jogging back to where Revali and Daruk waited.

Urbosa's blue lips were painted in a wide smirk, head tilted up to stare at her better.

"So." She drawled, as Mipha settled beside her.

"Please don't say anything."

The Gerudo patted her thigh, jewelry jangling pleasantly as she did so. The reassurance was silent, and definitely meant that the Gerudo was not promising to not tease them, but it still helped Mipha relax.

"You know they'd support you." Urbosa said, nodding towards the boys. Revali had taken to the air again, though he kept shooting them wary looks and had yet to fire an arrow. Link was taunting him, arms wide and gesturing dramatically at his unprotected chest. Mipha didn't respond immediately, waited until Revali took notice of Link's taunting and began firing with a shrill screech or rage. Daruk's laughter was loud enough to drown out the twang of the bow, the clash of arrows and metal. And Mipha sighed.

"Do you know what would happen if the world were to find out he is mine? He is sworn to protect the Hylian Princess, in service to the Hylian King. My people demand strength in a spouse, his demand status. And pretty sword or not, he has nothing from his father's name. It would kill him." The Zora knew, already accepted him as worthy. He'd made sure to challenge every one of her father's guards to duels after he'd found out what besting them would mean. But the Hylians? So protective over their royal family, so volatile with even the Sheikah?

"Not you? Darling, you don't need to stand so tall for him all the time."

"Who else will do it?" Mipha replied, turning from where her hero fought and meeting Urbosa's waiting gaze.

Urbosa's eyes lit with a knowing light, and she smiled and patted Mipha's thigh again. Mipha put her hand over the Gerudo's, signaling her gratitude for the offer, for the questions. The concern.

"Have you marked her, yet?"

That startled a surprised laugh out of the Gerudo Champion, and Mipha smiled sweetly at her. It may have been a low blow for her, but digging at Urbosa about her relationship with the Princess was simply returning the favor.

"I am much more interested in keeping her safe from her father's wrath. Same as you, with your little knight."

"At least he's taller than your Princess." Mipha sniffed, and again, Urbosa laughed. The height jokes never ended with her, but she was rather good-natured about Mipha replying in kind.

"So—does that mean you've marked him?" Urbosa asked pointedly, and Mipha blushed. Urbosa was the only person she could speak to about Link, about their relationship, and she did so frequently. Link knew, of course—it was his private life too—but he didn't mind.

She debated not answering, and then hid her smile behind a hand as she looked to Link, flailing around like a madman. Revali had run out of arrows, it seemed, and he was now just trying to smack Link with whatever he had on hands be that bow, wings, or talons. And still failing miserably.

"Nowhere noticeable." His thighs, his hips. The Zora would know what they were, if they ever saw them. To anyone else they would be scars, but…

"Vicious little thing, aren't you?"

Mipha couldn't help but laugh at that, and the noise rose above the boys' shouting and the clank of Vah Medoh's wings like fireflies.