Mipha wears her natural poise like armour. It keeps her safe; it is unbreakable. For the most part.
She is perched on the edge of one of the Domain's many waterfalls when it happens, watching with mild interest as a group of soldiers below train. The other Champions of Hyrule - Urbosa, Daruk, Link, even Princess Zelda herself - are currently convening with her lordly father, Dorephan, talking through strategies should the Calamity decide to attack anytime soon. Mipha is here without being here, having already heard it a thousand times before. The Zora are well aware that they are not the most adept warriors, which is why the king is taking extra care now to ensure they have the best chance possible in the coming battle. The captains know first and foremost their duty is to the Domain; if they should die for it, so be it. Their forces are prepped - soldiers fitted with armour and weapons crafted from the finest silver the Lanayru mines have to offer. All that is left for them now is to sit and wait, like so many others, and hope that the Champions and their Divine Beasts are able to bear the brunt of whatever fury the Calamity should unleash.
Zelda, not one for sitting and waiting, nor one for plateaus or stalemates or ever being satisfied with anything, is chattering away to the king about the possibility of fitting the Zora soldiers with rubber armour instead of silver. You see, rubber is shock resistant, and silver is, well, quite the opposite, she is saying. Mipha has heard of rubber once before, briefly, when Muzu had mentioned it during one of their lessons. He had spoken of it as a material of ancient past, a past so long buried that even if they were able to come across any rubber now, it would be in such scarce quantities that the chance of it stretching between even half the Zora forces would be slim to none. Still, it is hard to dissuade the princess of Hyrule when she settles on an idea. Mipha has to admit that Zelda's passion and desire for innovation is most admirable; yet, by Hylia, it would still be over her cold dead body that Mipha's silver would be pried away from her.
Urbosa and Impa are watching Zelda in rapture, hanging on to her every word, as always. Revali, self-important as he is, is stood slightly apart from the rest of the group, as always. Except he's not looking at Zelda. He's looking at her.
Has he ever really looked at her before? The question is scrambling her brain all of a sudden. If he has, it's never been with such a peculiar intensity, or for such a prolonged period of time. She squints in the sunlight back at him. It's awfully bright today for the Domain, the city usually being shrouded in a thick layer of mist. Her eyes begin to burn, and she's suddenly all too aware of the slick stone beneath her feet, and it becomes a struggle to keep her balance on terrain that is so familiar to her. It's a strange feeling, unpleasant and uncomfortable on the surface. But there's something else there too, despite everything else, a budding excitement in the pit of her stomach like a butterfly first unfurling its wings.
She expects him to turn back around, to continue pretending to listen to Zelda or glaring at Link, but what she expects to happen is not what happens. Instead, Revali smiles. It's a long, slow smile that extends to the very corners of his beak. Not mocking, like most of the smiles he directs at his fellow Champions. Knowing. One that says I know you think this is ridiculous, and I do too.
That's the moment she loses her footing.
Mipha doesn't make mistakes often. She is calm, and measured, and always oh so careful. She knows exactly what simple clumsiness can cost people. That's why in the first couple of seconds, she doesn't even realise she's falling. She's still thinking of Revali and his smile and how bizarre the entire situation is. It's only when she feels water shred through her fingers that she comes to her senses and flips her body upwards, stomach muscles clenching. The spray whips her face as she propels herself back up the waterfall, stinging like fire, but she pushes through it, kicking vigorously until she hits cold air and sees the group rush past her in a blur. Luminescent stone rapidly approaches as she makes her landing, her arms planted in front of her to steady herself. With preparation, it would have almost been a show.
She's mercifully given a moment to catch her breath and revel in the feeling of having solid ground under her feet and all of her bones intact, before an impatient clicking of talons on stone forces her attention to the unamused Rito stood before her. She exhales deeply one last time before straightening up to meet his eyes. The smile is long gone from his face now, replaced by a burning scowl that makes even Daruk shift uneasily where he stands.
Mipha's eyes dart between Revali and the group a few metres back. Even Link looks worried, which she would take some sort of perverse pleasure from if he wasn't clutching onto Zelda's arm like she might dive off the waterfall herself.
Back to Revali. "I'm fine, before you ask," she says quickly. It's directed at him, but she makes sure to say it loud enough that everyone else can hear it too.
"I wasn't about to." His eyes narrow even further. "However, I will ask - what the hell were you thinking?"
I wasn't, she nearly replies. "I simply lost my footing for a second. That's all."
"You're Mipha, Champion of the Zora, for Hylia's sake. You don't just lose your footing."
Is he angry with her for falling? That feeling in the pit of her stomach returns, except this time instead of a pleasant warmth, cold tendrils creep around her insides. "I'm flattered you think so highly of me, Master Revali," she says, coolly and graciously as she can manage, "but we all make mistakes sometimes."
An answer that clearly isn't satisfactory for him, given the stamp of his foot and the slow huff that escapes from his beak, but he says nothing and turns on his heel to walk away from her. Over his shoulder she sees the group, silent and watchful, nervously shuffle back into formation as he approaches them.
The cold feeling still sits in her stomach. She thinks she might've preferred it when he paid no attention to her at all.
"Oh, my little flippered friend," laughs Urbosa later, as they sit drinking in the sparkling twilight of East Reservoir Lake. Mipha graciously decides to let the questionable pet name slide, but when Urbosa says, "he was worried about you," she starts to think the Gerudo woman might be making fun of her.
"I can't imagine Revali being worried about anything except for his own feathers," she says aloofly.
"Hmph. Deny it if you wish. He likes you, that much is obvious."
Mipha doesn't know what to do with this information. It was true that Revali had never been cruel towards her the way he could be with Link, but she had always assumed that he tolerated her at best. But if he actually genuinely, actively liked her - well, that was another thing entirely.
Her gaze drifts to where Revali is perched next to Daruk and Link by the water's edge. He and Daruk seem to be discussing something animatedly, while Link nods along. She is pleased to see the men, so often at odds with each other, at least appearing to get along whilst they're in her domain - providing that their passionate conversation doesn't veer into an argument. A few moments of peace does not have Mipha ready to denounce their conflict as a mere facade just yet, but in some abstract imagined future where Link is her husband and Revali is still her friend, it would certainly be a lot more convenient for her if they weren't constantly at each other's throats.
She sighs and swirls her drink in its cup. Half of its contents is long gone, and she's already on her second refill. Urbosa's cup sits nearly untouched, the other woman choosing to sip water instead. She had struggled to hide her distaste for the bitter Zora brew: fleet-lotus seeds and fermented pomegranate wine, one of Mipha's favourites. The stimulant quality of the fleet-lotus provides a heady buzz, while the fermented pomegranate injects a delicious warmth into her veins, trickling through to her fingertips and planting her feet firmly on the ground. She rolls her neck languidly, pushing back her shoulders before settling back further into her seat. The poised princess of the Zora is a conscious display that takes constant precision and effort to maintain. It's nice to be able to take a moment to shrug it off, and why shouldn't she? It's only Urbosa watching, after all.
The effects of the wine are so pleasant and affirming she barely takes any notice when Revali slinks underneath the canopy and sits down next to her, feathered hand reaching for a cup. She watches through half-lidded eyes as he takes a sip and waits for his reaction.
He tries and fails quite spectacularly to hide his grimace, and Mipha can't help but laugh. "An acquired taste," he says diplomatically, clearing his throat before setting down his cup. She passes him some water, and he gives her a polite nod before gulping it down gratefully.
"No, it's certainly not for everyone," she agrees, "but it's a Zora staple. We have it during every celebration. I personally happen to enjoy the bitter taste."
"Still, a little sugar wouldn't hurt," mutters Revali. "So. Is tonight a celebration?"
"Of course. The work on Vah Ruta is complete, and we have the full backing of my father and his army," she says, proud. "I think that can be considered cause for celebration."
"Funny. I could've sworn that if we were celebrating anything, it would be you not hitting that water with the force of a hinox playing drums."
Mipha's eyes widen, incredulous. She is about to turn to Urbosa as if to say, can you believe the nerve of him - but Urbosa is no longer sat on the other side of her, instead having crept away at some point during the conversation to schmooze with Impa. How convenient, she thinks, for a such a statuesque woman, she can certainly move quietly on those heels.
She sighs in defeat, not keen on the idea of untangling this conundrum on her own, and certainly not with a belly full of wine. Still. With no one but the two of them around to hear, she has no incentive to be anything but blunt. "You seem awfully concerned about me all of a sudden, Master Revali."
He visibly stiffens. "It was a long drop."
"A long drop, from a waterfall. One that posed no particular danger to me. The water is my friend."
"Are you sure it feels the same way about you?"
"Perhaps you should worry more about yourself," she says, not unkindly. "The princess informed me of the incident at the Flight Range not too long ago."
"Ah, of course she did," Revali grits out through a smile that spells death. "Do you two spend a lot of time gossiping about me? Or does that honour go to Golden Boy over there?"
"You're right that it would be an honour to have two princesses gossiping over you," says Mipha, tapping her chin in mock-thought. "But, unfortunately, the answer is no. We have more pressing things to discuss at the moment."
"Well, once Medoh is up in the air and the Calamity is dealt with, I expect you'll be needing some more material," he hums. "Let's see. There's the time I accidentally used salt instead of sugar in the nutcake I baked for the village choir fundraiser - that one's a classic. Or perhaps you'd prefer to hear about the time my friends dared me to swallow a live salmon - "
"You have friends?"
"A low blow, princess."
Mipha laughs, a hearty tinkle. Then she notices it - a lightness in her chest, pulling her upwards, making her float like a balloon. Being able to banter freely like this is unworking the stiffness in her shoulders, the tightness of her jaw. She thinks she might even be having fun. "Rather impressive how you managed to mention your charity work in a conversation about your shortcomings."
He huffs. "Yes, well, it's inevitable when you carry out as many good deeds as I do."
"Oh, of course," she nods sagely. "But if I may say - it does sound like you need better friends."
Revali snorts at this, casting his gaze derisively over to where Daruk and Link sit shoulder to shoulder, as much as a small Hylian and hulking Goron can sit shoulder to shoulder, their bodies shaking with far away laughter.
He shudders, braids swaying in a way that's strangely hypnotising. "Like who? These clowns?"
Mipha shrugs as if to say, why not?
Revali sighs. "Daruk is a dolt - "
"That's not very kind."
"When have you ever known me to be kind? Daruk is a dolt, as charming as he may be, and Link - " he spits the knight's name out as if it tastes even worse than the wine, " - he won't even speak to me, and I'm just supposed to fall at his feet?"
"Maybe he won't speak to you because you judged him before you even knew him," Mipha says, too drunk to even attempt to stop what spills out of her mouth. "The Link I know is strong yet gentle, gallant and brave. You have no idea the kind of pressure he's under. If you stopped to consider the feelings of anyone other than yourself for once, perhaps you'd understand this."
Revali peers at her, waiting for her to catch her breath after her outburst. Then he says, "How long have you been in love with him?"
The feeling she experiences once processing these words is akin to falling down the waterfall over again. "I beg your pardon?"
"Well, you said I should consider the feelings of those other than myself," he says nonchalantly, "and your feelings for the Hylian knight are quite clear. So this is me showing an interest, if you wish to talk about it."
Mipha gapes at him, mouth flapping open and shut like a fish. "That's - not what I meant! And no, I don't wish to talk about it, thank you!"
"Suit yourself." Revali's features are smug. "But your reaction is all the confirmation I need that I'm right. Not that I require confirmation, of course."
Oh, how Mipha dearly wishes she had her trident to hand so she could poke those piercing eyes straight out of his head, and stop him from perceiving anything else untoward about her. She sighs in resignation. He is right, of course. What would be the point in pretending otherwise?
"No one else knows," she says quietly. "Not even Urbosa."
"I hate to break it to you, princess, but she probably does know. She's almost as observant as I am. As for the rest of these fools, well - let's just say you're not the best at hiding how you feel. I wouldn't be surprised if even they could work it out."
She manages to push down the urge to take a running dive into the shadowy depths of the East Reservoir and never surface again. "Even if that is the case, I'd be grateful if you didn't speak of it to the others." When he raises an inquisitive eyebrow at this, she continues on quickly: "It's not that I'm ashamed of my love - it's simply that I do not wish for it to cause any complications or friction, especially at a time it is so crucial that we work together. Which is what I fear might happen, were the princess to find out."
A heavy silence settles between them for a moment, as Revali clearly weighs up the implications of what she's just said. Mipha is cringing internally, regretting the words as soon as they have left her mouth. Why must she always be so crushingly honest? And with Revali of all people, who will probably use this information to torment her with until the ends of the earth?
His green eyes appraise her, expression frustratingly unreadable. The seconds tick by, each one more excruciating than the last. She has half a mind to grab him by the shoulders and shake him and why won't he just say something, we can never usually shut him up -
"Are we friends?"
Mipha blinks at him. "What?"
"Are we friends, Mipha?" Revali's tone is unusually patient. "I would consider us friends. I find your presence a great deal more tolerable than that of the rest of these halfwits, in any case."
Mipha's head has slowed its anxious spinning, but she still feels a small amount of trepidation at where he could possibly be going with this. "Is the bar for friendship really so low?"
He chuckles at this. "It's a lot higher than you think. You haven't answered my question."
"Of course we're friends," she replies evenly, trying not to think too hard on why saying it out loud brings her so much unbridled joy.
He nods like he's conducting a study that he already knows the answers to. "Then I'm sure you'd agree that as your friend, I have a duty to you to keep any secrets you may wish me to keep, as badly hidden as they may be, and vice versa."
Mipha waits. She waits for him to break out into laughter, to sneer at her, to take off on his wings and tell Princess Zelda that Princess Mipha has a big stupid crush on her chosen knight. From what she's witnessed, that's how these things usually go when it comes to Revali.
But nothing like that happens. He simply continues to look at her with sharp, inquisitive eyes, his head cocked slightly to the side. She has a strange feeling that she might be going down a dangerous path.
She says: "You called the Princess of Hyrule a fool and a halfwit."
He rolls his eyes. "And her chosen knight, her royal advisor and the blessed Goron Hero. What of it? Don't tell me you're going to run and tattle on those little webbed feet of yours."
Mipha smiles and shakes her head slowly, reaching for the cup she'd placed out of the way when they'd first gotten into it. "Your secret is safe with me," she whispers, and downs the rest of her wine.