Din joined her mom the following days in training in the morning, and one-on-one afternoon time while fishing, archery practice, horseback riding, patrolling the castle, and so much more. She missed Lucien, but only because her days had been filled with his shenanigans. Instead, her mom was there, and it was better than ever. Most of all, she envied the authority Dora portrayed over the soldiers, and the respect they showed in return.
The princess used her powerful legs to rise from the saddle of her horse. She used the trained strength in her arms to pull an arrow back in her bow. She tilted her head slightly to aim down the arrow. The horse galloped straight across the training field, opposite from the targets lined against the wall protecting the castle. She patiently waited for the horse to cross the path of the straightest line to the smallest target, and fired.
"Damn," she whispered. "I missed," she said, just as the arrow hit the target, but not dead center.
Dora applauded her attempt anyway.
Din slid back into the saddle and turned the horse around to meet up with her mother at the ground's entrance. "Stop clapping," she whined. "That was terrible."
Dora laughed, and said, "My own archery trainer once fell from her horse attempting the same feat. Don't take your accomplishments so lightly. It's my job to be hard on you, and I'll tell you when you aren't doing well enough."
"I know you will. I remember the time you made me cry because you told me I would never be any good with a sword," Din reminded with a smirk. She dismounted her horse and walked him into the stables.
"You proved me wrong about that," Dora groaned. "Just a couple months of training with your dad and you made me yield in a dual. No one has beaten me for a long time. I was so proud of you."
Din beamed. "I know," she said, providing hay for the horse before she turned to join her mom.
"Come on. It's time to take a stroll through town," Dora ordered.
The market square was bustling. People chatted outside of shops, conducted trades, and purchased goods. Din could tell what part of the market they were in by the smell, as it transitioned from rich baking bread to nauseating burnt leather. The air was filled with the sound of children laughing, the beating of a heavy hammer on steel, and the rattle of wagon wheels rushing by.
The nearest crowds hushed as their queen and princess passed through. The Gerudo ears were designed differently from Hylian's, but they were just as keen, and Dora caught every word.
"What is she doing here?"
"I haven't seen the queen in years. I thought she was dead."
"I thought the king had them locked in the dungeon."
"That wouldn't surprise me."
"I can't wait for the hero to come back, and rid us of that villain, and save the princess."
Dora kept her head held forward, but her eyes lingered on each naysayer with a glare that could have brought death.
"This is pretty much why I avoid town. They always say nasty things, no matter how many people the moblins make an example of," Din advised.
"Ignore them. Their pathetic little minds can't possibly comprehend what we have endured to be where we are," her mom said, her tone full of anger.
The whispers seemed to fade the longer they remained in the town. They spent nearly an hour roaming the alleys and streets, watching for traitors and criminals. The late afternoon sun was hot when they decided to walk back through the square to go home.
"Hey, Din," a boy shouted, calling her out.
"What are you doing? Her mom is with her," his friend hissed. "She'll kill you."
The brown-haired boy shrugged his shoulders to shake off the idea. "Hey, did you finally ditch Lucien to find a real man?"
"Just keep walking, Mom," Din pleaded as they passed the group of teenagers.
Dora hoped that she could have continued, but then the boy said, "Or did he already take what belongs to me?"
The queen stopped, and stared with cold eyes at the boy. "What is your name?" Dora shouted.
"Brock," he answered with a cocky tone.
"Mom, please. These guys have teased me for years, just leave them alone," she said, exasperated. "They really don't need to die over a little teasing."
"Not all of them," her mom whispered. "You are my daughter, and he is dishonoring you. Either I kill him, or you do," she growled.
He looked from her to Dora then, and asked, "Do you even know your daughter has been sneaking around like a tramp with a boy in the forest? By the way, we know you aren't queen anymore. What did you do, forget how to swallow?"
Din glared at him, and unsheathed her sword. "You can say what you will about me, but you will not insult my mother," Din shouted.
"Your mom is ancient, and you couldn't hurt a fly. You don't scare me."
A crowd had formed a small circle around the group of friends, and the royal family. It was so large, it consisted of nearly everyone in Hyrule castle town.
Din went to take a step forward, but Dora grabbed her wrist and turned her around quickly. "No, we do it together. You know what to do," Dora whispered quietly, and winked. "You're a Gerudo." Her daughter nodded understanding and spun back to face her enemy.
"You're right, Brock," Din said, letting her hand with her sword relax at her side. The crowd looked at her and gasped. "I was sneaking around with a boy in the woods, behind my mother and father's back." She walked toward him with deliberate steps, and slowly closed the short distance between them. "I bet you think you deserve me more than him. I'm a princess, my beauty is rare, and you would love nothing more than to ruin my reputation to keep me all to yourself." Din sheathed her sword at last to ease the tension, but then leaned forward so that her breasts touched his chest.
Brock was hesitant, but he had all eyes on him and soaked up the attention. "I knew you would see it my way, princess."
Din grinned wickedly, appearing so much like her father that Brock's face finally showed fear. "Then prove it. Kiss me."
The boy took hold of her shoulders and shoved his lips on to hers. The kiss was possessive, and he pulled her body close. Din reached her hands up as high as she could while he restrained her arms, and gripped the sleeves of his shirt. He thought she grabbed on to him out of pleasure, but learned otherwise when her knee impacted with his groin. Din knocked his left kneecap out with one swift kick that sent him to the ground, and she restrained his arms high above his back. Brock shouted in pain. "What are you doing you-?"
Dora had rushed in the moment Din attacked, as if their thoughts were one. She brandished her sword when he landed on his stomach, and brought the blade crashing down through his neck. Blood sprayed from the fresh wound, wetting the ground and the feet of some patrons.
"Guards," Din shouted, and only bokoblins came running. "Clean up the mess from this pig who tried to ruin me," she ordered, and kicked the headless body with all her strength.
With only snorts for communication, they acknowledged and obeyed.
"Are there any others who would challenge my daughter?" Dora shouted, pride shining in her eyes. The crowd shouted protests, but none came forward. They slowly dispersed.
Dora sheathed her bloody sword and hugged Din warmly. "How did I do?" her daughter asked.
"Perfect. I could not have done it better myself."
"Perhaps when you were my age," Din started.
"Yes. Come on. We have caused enough damage for today," Dora said, and took Din's hand to lead her back toward the castle.
There was silence between them while they reflected on their actions, but only one thought stuck in Dora's mind.
"Your father would be proud of you too," she said, fighting her sadness.
"I know. I bet he's glad he doesn't have to defend me anymore," Din said, and kicked at a rock angrily.
"He didn't teach you to defend yourself because he was tired of protecting you," Dora corrected sternly.
"I know, but I can't help but feel abandoned," she admitted.
"He'll come around."
"When will he realize he is only so mad at us because he cares?" Din asked, throwing her arms up. "He was afraid I was going to get hurt so he taught me to protect myself. He's mad that I made a wrong decision, that I didn't confide in him about my boy preference first, and he worries about what I do at all only because he cares about me," she explained. "Then, he decides to get mad at you because you gave him a reason to care. Dad didn't deserve what I did to him, to stop him from completing the Triforce, and I feel perfectly horrible about that. At first, I thought he was so mad because he hated me, but now I realize I was wrong."
Dora smiled warmly. "Do you remember your nightmares?"
Din took a deep breath after her speech, and nodded.
"You had those nightmares for weeks, constantly waking your father and I in the middle of the night to sleep with us. One night, you came to get your father, because the monsters from your nightmares were hiding under your bed, and in your closet, and he pretended to chase them away for you."
"I remember that," Din said with soft smile.
"If that isn't love, I don't know what is," Dora said, shedding a tear. "He loved you before you were born. You're right, he does get mad, but because he has worry, and fear, from caring. I have seen it all throughout your life. I won't give up on him."