Being a race of ancient fish who had taken to the land with scales leaving them unadorned with much of any clothing, privacy wasn't much of an idea amongst the Zora, so far as their personal appearances, anyway. For the longest time, Zora's Domain, as such, remained wholly unbarred by walls, doors, whatever else, simply offering to the Zora's unneeded masking of anything relating to nudity- their scales were their clothing, even if a few enterprising Gorons had once attempted to brand clothen garb to the people of the Domain, a venture which never really took off.

Regardless, as their interactions grew with those of the outside world, namely the Gerudo and Hylians, the Zora expanded upon their innate sense of bringing to bear stupendous hosting abilities, and introduced ornate tapestries to be used as makeshift walls, put up for the same privacy they lacked much of an awareness of, for any guests that might arrive. These were one of the few preparations required of Mipha when she left the Champions, and now, as the moon settled among the stars, one of the Domains many platforms now shone in silhouette against the cliffs of Zorana, blanketed by these four makeshift rooms of walled tapestry.

It was here that the pitter-patter of feet rang out gently in the night as Mipha carefully scampered up the adjoining rampart, a tray of drink and snacks for her guests in her arms; even if she were among them, she couldn't resist the compulsion to also remain a good host as the Princess of these people. Her eyes quickly ran up and down from the tray, careful not to spill a drop as she approached the nearest tent, carefully sliding in past the entrance with an unsure breath.

"E-Excuse me, Revali," she spoke up unsurely as she entered, "I brought some fresh water, some octorok milk, and if you wanted to try some toasted carp tips, they're quite the tasty snack!"

Proudly declaring her people's cuisine, her expression dropped quickly as she noticed Revali's frozen stance. Turned away from her with the curtains drawn, he remained ever stoic with his arms crossed, peering out over the platform's railing with an intensity in his glare that Mipha could feel teeming through the air despite being unable to see his face.

"Are you okay?" she wondered quietly, sliding the tray of food from her arm onto a nearby table that had been set up, "I can bring some more quilts? I know the waters make it cold and-"

The solemn shake of his head, so uncharacteristically uncertain of him, caught her off guard, "-and, uh- I-"

"It's nothing," he finally spoke up, turning his head over his shoulder with a pensive glance in his eyes, "What's that? Vittles?"

Mipha looked down at her tray, "Actually, it just a few offerings of snacks."

Frowning at her reply, Revali groaned with a fierce expression, though he slowly plotted over toward the table with interest, "I suppose I could try my hand at some. I do not often debase myself to rations outside of regular meal times, but I suppose if you're offering your good graces, I have little choice."

He raised a hand, fingers wiggling uncertainly as he looked over the food as if waiting for something, leaving Mipha with a start, "O-Oh! Um, well, there's those toasted carp tips. Octarok pâté, ocean's caviar, some-"

"Ocean's caviar?" Revali wondered aloud with disgusted intrigue.

Mipha nodded with a proud smile, "Well, we Zora live amongst the rivers, mostly. It's simply a traditional way of denoting that we're not eating our own eggs, I suppose."

"That would be a problem," Revali reasoned, bringing his hand to his chin, his disgust waning, "Such things should only be left to frightful Rito campfire stories."

With a look of concern, Mipha quickly smiled as Revali reached down for a bite to eat, his interesting now seemingly piqued by the discussion, as he took one of the slices of bread smothered with the black pile of tiny fish eggs, "Don't let the others know I ate a product of the earth, Zora."

"But," Mipha replied with quick wit, "If the Rito are the only beings with mastery of the sky, wouldn't everything else be a product of the earth?"

Once more, his ego was stoked by compliment amidst something possibly of an insult, leaving Revali temporarily frozen in thought. Still, he managed to simply finish the small portion in one bite, shaking his head as he wiped the crumbs from his beak.

"Your wit is a pleasant reprieve from the daily dronings-on from the others," Revali answered, "Still- Don't mention it."

Mipha smiled sincerely, "I won't. Would you like another?"

Eyeing the tray with critical eyes, Revali slowly began reaching out for another bite, "…I suppose I might. so long as it's being offered."

"There's plenty to being a good host," Mipha assured with a friendly smile, "And just as plenty when it comes to being a good guest! Have as much as you would like! Please!"

The Rito took a bite, his eyes noticeably avoiding Mipha as he did so, finally turning his head away as he chewed, though his frown remained tell-tale while doing so. Mipha's head fell as she noticed, genuinely concerned of what might have been weighing upon his heart. Despite his brusque nature, she was certain that he, indeed, had one; perhaps rough-edged and calcified beneath years of distrust, but a heart nonetheless.

"Thank you," she muttered quietly, almost in a whisper, concealing a smile.

Seeming to have prodded Revali back to life, he quickly whipped his neck around to face her, "F-For what?!"

Mipha giggled at his sudden feistiness, "I don't think I ever officially thanked you for taking the time to find some gekari gel, in Gerudo Desert of all places, simply to repay me."

"Tch," Revali nearly visibly twitched in surprise, turning his entire body away, "It was no grand gesture, I assure you! Nothing worthy of thanks, of course! I was simply doing as everybody should when offered something of such value!"

He huffed as though to wholly demonstrate his feigned irritation, though Mipha simply replied, "I mean, perhaps not, but- The only person I knew amongst this group was Link, so I suppose when you don't know somebody, it's difficult to expect such things. Your kindness just means something to me, that's all."

"Pah," Revali scoffed once more, stepping back toward the edge of the platform, staring off into the sky, "As I said, it was no big thing. I can assure you, it was not due to any kindness on my part. T'was merely the proper gesture to repay another."

A half-hearted smile crept across Mipha's face, certainly that she'd inadvertently witnessed something of a childish heart behind those now-ruffled feathers. She decided it best to leave it at that, hoping to not leave Revali any more disarmed than he might have been at that moment.

"Well, if you'd like, I'll leave the caviar here for you," smiled Mipha as she removed the saucer from the tray, "I'll leave you to-"

"Kindness-"

Mipha's heart tugged at the word as she turned up toward Revali, noticing the unmistakable movement of his head as it trailed up from toward the sky down toward the Domain itself. In a single word, he had managed to surrender all bravado, almost as if relinquishing something of a barrier as his words left him weak.

"There's a language to kindness," Revali muttered quietly, "One I was never afforded much command over."

A pang at Mipha's heart.

"So don't presume me eloquent in such ways," Revali warned, almost as if failing to reclaim the power so often present behind his words.

Mipha watched the hind portion of his shoulders as they quivered, only for a moment, before returning her attention to the tray and removing it from the table with a sincere, solemn smile. She gave him a final glance before offering on her way out.

"We all pick up some things. whether or not we notice."

Revali continued his watch as Mipha gave one final glance in his direction, her brow furrowing hopefully before she slid out from beneath the tapestry, leaving the Rito alone once again, save for her offering of snacks upon his table. Longingly so, Revali's eyes narrowed as he kept silent watch over the bottom-most platform of the Domain, his eagle eyes concentrating fiercely upon the scene before him, watching as a cacophony of Zora children lay, huddled, in one of the pools there, napping through the night as a collection of elders kept watch over them.

His brow fell slightly at the show of parental warmth. Even as he gradually succumbed to something of a yearning, a guilt came over him. Guilt that, by now, the very thing he might have longed for was so far removed from his life. Even if he were to make up for such a thing, his childhood forever remained an unmoving memory; one he never could escape from.

Entranced in his thoughts, Revali remained there, arms crossed.

Mipha carefully returned the tapestry to the sleek ground of the platform, pausing for a moment to smile before turning her attention to the next tent that sat along the outer ring of the space where she stood. She began her diligent march nearby, though her head perked up at the unmistakable sound of a ruckus coming from within, her feet moving quicker as worry settled in.

Heart racing, she suddenly slid to a halt as a growl emerged unmistakably from Daruk, breaking the air with a furious zeal, "Bwah! Best of seven, then!"

Mipha suddenly recalled the wager involved in these two's arrangement, though that did little to repel her worry as a sudden, raucous SMASH broke past the Zora's ear, her eyes widening in shock at how out of hand a mere are wrestling match had become. With haste, she burst toward the curtained tapestry, breaking into their room only to grind to an immediate halt, nearly sending the tray of goodies flying as her eyes took in the macabre scene before her.

With gritted teeth, Daruk slammed a small boulder atop the table between himself and Urbosa, matching a second rock opposite it. He assumed the tradition position for an arm wrestle, though it became clear enough that the two had heightened the challenge, for the two rocks also stood in opposition in their goal of slamming the other's hand into the table.

"Two to three!" Daruk challenged angrily, only stoked further by Urbosa's wry smile as she massaged the back of her right hand.

She flashed him a pair of sinister eyes, "I have a feeling you'll be adjusting our series to nine by the end of this next bout."

"Hush and submit your fate to the power of the Gorons! Eons of stone course through my arm!"

"No wonder it seems erosion has settled in," Urbosa chuckled in her gamesmanship, earning a furious gaze from Daruk as the two took one another's hand, "I'm of the sands, Goron; I know all about how to turn stone to dust."

"BWAH!" Daruk shouted heartily, throwing his power into Urbosa's hand as it slowly descended toward the craggy rock atop the table.

The Gerudo's other hand tugged at the table, her breath stopping as she willed herself to refuse Daruk's power. Her eyes narrowed into fierce, cat-like slits, her face broke back into a sweat as veins popped at her forehead. Yet, as her arm shook in forceful determination, her body quivering in deepening effort, a grin remained on her face. She enjoyed such demonstrations.

"GWAR!" Daruk roared in indiscriminate rage.

Urbosa relished in it.

With the suddenness of a coiled serpent, Urbosa suddenly summoned some unknown power within her very soul, forcing her arm back the way Daruk had come, her smirk evaporating into lips so pursed that the skin surrounding them broke into uncaged lines, her breath huffing forcefully through her nose.

Daruk's will refused to give in, and as Urbosa challenged the midsection of their duel, her advance came to an abrupt halt, remaining still as the Gerudo's eyes winced in pain, finally succumbing with a cracked SMASH from the small boulder beneath her hand as Daruk slammed in down into the table swiftly enough.

"Damn!" she shouted angrily, massage g her hand as Daruk jumped to his feet, throwing his arms into the air triumphantly, "Yeah, yeah. Big show from a being who experiences no exhaustion."

Grinning proudly, Daruk dropped his arms with a modest reply, "Only our spirits, I assure you."

Reaching over to give a congratulatory pat atop her shoulder, Daruk noted friendly enough, "As far as adversaries go, you've threatened to exhaust my soul like no other."

"I don't need your condolences," Urbosa seethed before smirking mischievously, "I only need revenge."

Daruk slammed his fists together as he turned toward a tiny pile of rocks they must have gone scavenging for, grabbing hold of one before smacking it where the previous stone had crumbled nearly into dust.

"I can assure you no such thing," Daruk challenged with a crooked smile.

Before they could continue with their boorish ritual, Mipha had slipped away, hoping not to disturb their bonding time, which seemed far more liable to achieve the opposite effect in any case. Still, having left a pitcher of water for Urbosa, she decided to check the next tent, hoping to find better, or perhaps more refined, company with the princess, Zelda. Unfortunately, as she pulled away the curtain, she found no such thing behind the ornate tapestry, Mipha's brow furrowed in confusion.

Groaning with dismay, her hosting abilities proving rather futile so far, she thought how preemptively she must've known these people would be nothing but beyond the pale, so far as her social standards went. How foolish was it to expect these Champions to simply sit in place and await sustenance? Still, these inferences allowed Mipha an idea of where Zelda might have been, her eyes scanning the lower levels of the Domain for any sign of warm-blooded existence.

"Whoa!" Zelda cried out with elation, still zooming up and down the double-walls of shelves that made up the meager library that the Zora had managed to comprise in their history, leaving the Hylian princess utterly in shock by it's very existence.

Claiming another tome from its pristine shelf, Zeldahquickly returned to a desk she had procured, excitedly speaking up to Mipha while her eyes remained glued to the thick textbook, "Just look at it! Such beautiful condition, too!"

Throwing open its cover, Zelda took in its opening pages with reckless abandon, her finger making scant crossing motions as she tracked down any authorial claim to the thick book, "You wouldn't believe- Some of these texts have been lost for years in the Kingdom. The only way we've known about them are because of other ancient writers citing their work. How did your people come into possession of these?!"

"I'm not certain," Mipha opined quietly, "They've probably been down here forever. My ancestors were never ones to lay claim to history though, nor were they ever privy to losing such things to time itself. Even my instructor, Muzu, wouldn't ever order these Hylian texts destroyed."

Nodding excitedly, Zelda continued, "Good! Look, here's a book by Ekasziki, 'The Histories'. It was cited by Zabon Rah, then by Tanmi, and finally, Repeash, whose tome we have in the Castle library."

"How do you remember all that?" Mipha inquired increasing astonishment.

Smirking as she whipped through the time-worn pages, Zelda assured, "I was forced to sit in our libraries and study. for years."

Her motions slowing, her smile gradually waned into one of regretful realization, "So many authors were much like friends to me. They were all I had for a time after my mother died."

Mipha's eyes fell in respect as Zelda returned her attention to the book, her energy still subsided as she recited, "'Labrynna'. In this history, Ekasziki mentions a man who vanished to return a man of delusions, speaking of worlds he had been transported to, telling fantastic tales. Of course, nobody believed him, but a few joined him in something of a cult. 'Sziki, a layman himself, takes a sympathetic bias toward him and others, but Zabon Rah, who first cited his work, wrote a counter-history refuting much of 'Sziki's account, but Zabon is known, now, more as a rumor-monger, whose status as a member of royalty at the time heavily influenced his own accounts."

Zelda eyed Mipha cheekily, "History is just as messy as our own times, it seems."

"I'm just shocked you can keep your head on straight," Mipha muttered with intrigue, taking a seat across from Zelda before allowing her wiry fingers to prod through a book of her own.

Zelda quietly elaborated, "There's just so much in these books. So many people written about and discounted as crazy people, but- Especially now, with how fluid destiny seems to be…"

Her lips pursed curiously, "Just how many of them were right..? Any number of them could've truly been Heroes…"

Mipha's brow raised with interest as her eyes jumped up toward Zelda, her guttural chuckle catching the Zora's attention as she quietly allowed, "The thought always comforted me back then."

She slowly shut the book, her tone raising in spirit as she went on, "My father kept me in the libraries so that I might discover that magic which is supposed to be about a Princess of Hyrule. I thought him to be mean at first, but- I think he was just scared. With my mother gone, he couldn't trust himself to properly raise me, so- Maybe the librarians, the teachers, could do a better job until I come into my own."

"As it became more and more apparent that I was without those powers," Zelda went on, her eyes dropping sadly in time with her shoulders, "I thought more of these histories. and all those people written off as crazy- as incorrect in their assertions of being greater. Was I just the same? Just an insane girl with delusions of my own that I might one day be something greater?"

Mipha watched with curled eyes, sadly taking in her fellow Princess' worries before Zelda suddenly perked up, smiling something of a bright grin before pulling another tome over toward her, "But- That's all in the past."

Reaching deliberately for another book, Zelda avoided what was sure to be a skeptical glance from Mipha, choosing to avoid any further conversation on the subject, "Look! This is actually from only a handful of generations ago. Dr. Burro was a Hylian anthropologist who specialized in everything non-Hylian; this book was about his attempts at studying the bokoblins of the world. As barbaric as they seem, he discovered a rather intricate language amongst them, dialects, and even grudges between tribes."

"And here!" she went on, sliding another text toward herself, "Izu Imoth's journey into the darkest underwater caverns! He found the stone statue of a man encased in solid rock with what appeared to be the knife-holder in his forehead, from a race of ancient mega-beings!"

Her eyes flashed upward just long enough to find Mipha's deep eyes watching her with a woeful yearning, forcing Zelda to sigh as she slumped forward, "Look, I know what you're going to say, and-"

"I don't think you're insane."

Zelda held her breath for a moment, blinking in vapid wonderment, "That…wasn't what I thought."

Mipha smiled, "I don't think you're worth any less simply because you've yet to find whatever meaning you hope to attain for yourself. I know these books record so very little of the true world around us; it's a shame that your kindness, your feistiness, your benevolence isn't worth recording in a book. because, to me, it means so very much. Even if you're destined to end up in a tale about a girl who merely babbled on about how she was supposed to have magical abilities."

Holding back a half-hearted giggle, Zelda shrugged, "Well, that does mean a lot to me. Thanks."

Zelda's eyes fluttered skeptically back toward Mipha with a wry tinge to her voice, "…you aren't just saying that for the histories I'll be writing about this venture, are you?"

Picking up quite readily on the joke, Mipha retorted playfully, "I suppose we'll never know. It's not as if I'll be writing my own to refute your-"

Her eyes suck deep into her scaled face, watching Zelda's reaction with terror as panic set in, "I- I- I mean-!"

"It's okay," Zelda assured with a gentle giggle, reaching over to pat the back of Mipha's hand, "I know already. You can't read Hylian."

So lost in her panic, Mipha hadn't recalled as she stammered, "H- How?!"

"Dayn Whoma? What, is that the shrine for itty bitty silly weenies?" Zelda teased with a laugh, shaking her head, "I did what I could to subtly teach you and it actually seemed to catch on somehow."

Bowing her head to hide whatever embarrassment might emerge upon her face, Mipha quietly muttered, "Um, I mean- Link has been helping me as well…"

"Ahhh," Zelda coyly murmured with a flinty, immature tone, "I'm sure those study sessions were quite fruitful, huh?"

Mipha nodded easily, "Y- Yes! I've gotten most of the alphabet down, actually! and I can make out a few things without having to backward-transpose it through Zora tongue first! See?!"

Zelda watched, confused at her inuendo having had no effect, while Mipha threw her arm aside as she yanked at a loose sheet of paper and slammed it before her in a nervous haste, jumping to her feet, "I need ink! Where's an octorok?!"

"Mipha!" Zelda cried out, quickly rising and throwing her arms toward Mipha's shoulders before gently pulled her back down with a nervous smile, "Please, just- just sit down, okay? You have nothing to prove to me."

"A- As it were," Mipha asserted oddly enough, clearing her throat as she allowed her blood to still, "I'm happy to prove that Link is rather tremendous as a teacher."

Recognizing herself in such a flusterous flurry, Zelda allowed a bright smirk upon her face. Though, where her love was in books and science, Mipha's passions seemed, indeed, to lie elsewhere. She watched as Mipha kept her eyes plastered upon anything other than the table, severely embarrassed by her actions, though Zelda simply giggled to herself in the hopes of lightening the tension, turning toward one of her books.

"Well, so long as it's all still atop the waters," Zelda introduced with a smile, licking at a finger before flipping through a page, "Rombeash tells of the earliest known account of inter-racial relationships amongst the various peoples of-"

"Zelda!" Mipha cried out, though was hushed by a wiggling finger from her counterpart.

"Hey!" Zelda insisted, "Maybe you'll get some ideas!"

While not even possible, Mipha was certain she had something akin to a blush staining her face.

The cold air bit at Link's skin as he took the hem of his shirt into his hands, slowly pulling the coarse material up and over his shoulders as he stared down at the open journal atop his bed, examining where he had left off and allowing his mind to form continuous thoughts as his shirt covered his eyes, his attention only momentarily stunted until the garment came off, his arms falling to his sides as he returned to his own handwriting. His eyes narrowed in critique before he knelt down toward his backpack, slipping out from it different shirt while shoving the one from the day's events back inside, a subtle, numbing pain roiling around inside his shoulder as he stood back up, forcing a hand to reach beyond his neck as a pained groan escaped him.

"Gah," he whispered with a wincing face, thinking back to his falling to his back up near the reservoir, shutting his eyes to focus as he tried massaging the tender skin he found beyond his shoulder.

Almost as of his nonexistent vision had heightened his other senses, Link's hair stood on end as he slowly turned his head over his shoulder, feeling the sensation of someone's vision upon him crawling up his back, though as his guard immediately went up, it just as quickly subsided as he only found the prodding gaze of Mipha poking through a tiny slit in the tapestry, causing a sigh of relief from him as he dropped his head toward his chest in defeat.

"Is voyeurism commonplace amongst the Zora?" he questioned with a teasing grin.

Slipping through the curtains, Mipha did her best to hide a playful smirk, "Not exactly, no."

Link shook his head as he pulled his pajama shirt over his head to hide his torso from her vision, any reply from him becoming worthless after Mipha continued herself, "I don't think anybody could help watching somebody they're attracted to."

Smirking with a stoked pride, Link turned his over his shoulder with a smarmy glance as he buttoned up his shirt, "Oh, really? And here I thought all those pervy Hylians were in the wrong in sneaking around these cliffs."

"I'd like to think mine is a tad more pure than that," Mipha giggled, "Still, it's fascinating."

"What is?" Link wondered, turning wholly toward her as she averted her gaze with a wry sort of grin.

She shrugged, "I only ever see Zora men mostly nude without a second thought. I see your bare skin, and- It's rather captivating."

"Perhaps it's simply what's been unseen," Link surmised, falling onto his cot before rummaging through his rucksack, "If those Hylian guys had been so familiar with the view of Zora women, I doubt they'd be so enamored."

This wasn't what Mipha had wanted to hear, her eyes giving a questioning glance as she wondered, "Are you not enamored by me, then?"

Only a chuckle answered her as Link turned up his head toward her with a smile, "I am. Infinitely so."

Her eyes widened in response to his bravado.

"But I'm also so very enamored by your spirit, by your grace. Those things unseen," Link assured with a smile before returning to his pack.

Mipha's quickly escaped from his direction, hoping to quell her beating heart as she stammered in further accusation, somewhat hoping to break free from the spell Link's boyish words had cast upon her, "Sh- Should you not be with your Princess down in the library?!"

Finishing up and latching his backpack shut, Link explained, "Behind the Zoran Guard, my involvement would go beyond mere insult and toward utter uselessness. Besides, as a Champion, I'm more inclined toward Zelda's direction than the King's."

"And, uh- What was her direction?" Mipha wondered with a shudder.

Link only shrugged, "She said to make sure I stayed here tonight. She made it sound as though I would follow her otherwise, but I thought there was something in her voice that gave away some other motive."

He watched Mipha's eyes widen slightly in realization, though he must have misinterpreted her expression, choosing to elaborate, "I don't know; something about her near-constant blushing and her inability to retain eye contact gave something away."

Brushing the wrinkles free from his ill-fitting pajamas, Link simply admitted, "I won't worry to much about it though. It's strange, letting my guard down, but- I will say, it's kind of nice to be freed of such responsibility, if only for a moment. Besides-"

He raised his arms in presentation, "Drink it in; I doubt you'll see me in such ragged garb too often."

Smiling, Mipha nodded in appraisal, "They're not that bad."

"I feel as though I'm liable to trip, they're so loose," Link complained, waving his arm as the fabric flowed freely along in time with his movements, "All the most surface area for threats to take advantage of, as well."

Rather charmed by Link's never-ending consideration of such things, Mipha raised a hand to hide a giggle, her lowered head catching Link's attention, "What?"

"You're rather cute," she admitted.

"Cute," Link repeated in a far more drab tone, "I'm not sure many men would choose that specific designation."

Mipha smirked, "Perhaps not, but it's certainly what you are at this moment in time."

"Uh huh," Link sarcastically agreed in a droll reply, "Remind me, then, to be other things. Smoldering, perhaps."

He scrunched his face forward, his lips pursed while his eyes form forceful slits that singed the very air between the two of them, finally drawing an audible kiss from his breath as his head jolted up in a sultry nod. Such a forceful attempt forced a sudden laugh from Mipha as she covered her face with both hands, her head shaking back and forth in forceful disapproval.

"No! No!" Mipha managed through laughs, severely addled by such an odd display.

For his part, Link simply grinned at his attempt at humor having succeeded, rolling his eyes, "Goddess, our humor hasn't much aged."

He scratched the back of his head as he turned toward the open journal atop his cot, slowly reaching down to retrieve it before Mipha scurried over, stealing the book away before retreating amidst Link's serious stare.

"Gotcha!" Mipha proclaimed playfully.

Link's shoulders dropped before she could explain, "Maybe our trickery hasn't aged, either!"

"Uh huh," Link nodded with monotony before reaching out a hand, "I'm gonna need you not to open that."

Mipha grinned, "Why? Are you cute in here as well?"

"Pah!" Link scoffed, a wry grin crossing his face as he crossed his arms, "As if you'd be able to tell."

With a new sense of determination, Mipha's brow narrowed as she turned her attention to the tome in her hands, quickly opening it to find endless scribbles within its pages. It was certainly Hylian script, and while she could recognize letterings and symbols, and only a few choice words, it was all but foreign to her. Still, she put on a brave face, hoping to make Link sweat a moment in teasing despair, although her façade vanished as a soft giggle escaped her as she scanned the pages.

A moment ago so confident, Link's face suddenly softened in realization as she questioned in a hurry, "W-What did you make out?!"

Mipha smiled as she turned the open book toward Link, pointing out a single word, "I know that's your name."

A wave of relief crossed Link as he sighed, dropping his head uselessly before Mipha returned to the journal, seemingly entranced by the prospect of simply hunting down Link's name amidst the jungle of language that was so foreign to her. Link's eyes arose to catch her doing so, his feet slowly taking him toward her.

"Now who's being cute?" he wondered rhetorically as Mipha's eye flashed overtop the book.

She cocked her head to the side, "I don't mind it, though."

Her eyes jumped up once more to find Link within arm's reach, her teasing coming to a halt as he reached over to gently take hold of her arm where his journal had been resting upon, his voice escaping as a shaky echo, "I mind it."

Half swayed by his deepened tone, half unsure as to what it was he meant, Mipha's eyes locked onto his with a shivering uncertainty coursing through the slits between her scales, especially as his grasp pulled her closer into his arms. Her shuddering was left with little in the way of a payoff, however, as Link simply took the opportunity to seize his journal from her, shaking his head as he released his hand from her.

"Thank you," was all he left her with as he smiled, playing innocent at what he knew he had done to her heart.

Mipha regained her faculties just enough as Link turned away, speaking quickly before he could pack up his journal, "Just one page."

Link's eyes appeared over his shoulder as he chuckled, "Maybe, and that's a big maybe, one day when you're ready to read it."

A scrupulous glance met him as Mipha retorted, "Are you certain it's not when you're ready?"

"I will concede that point, only because you're the only one in here," Link acknowledged, "Before you, this journal was the only way to let my guard down, if only in writing. It's not me writing about how the birds seem to be flying north on any given day; you know, it's-"

He shrugged before kneeling down to bury it within his rucksack, "It's just one of those things."

Mipha watched him with concern, though as Link stood, he gave a deep sigh to disarm any skepticism that such a topic might be more disarming than any other, leaving her to simply watch his eyes as they returned to her.

"I, uh-" Mipha suddenly began, hoping to relieve some of the dreary tension in the air, before motioning toward the nearby tray she'd sat down, "Brought some snacks if you'd like."

Link's eyes brightened in surprise, "Oh? Well, I'm stuck here for the evening, so in lieu of dinner, I will be sure to indulge."

Mipha's eyes fell in embarrassment as she quietly revealed, "Well, that- I think-"

"Hmm?" Link hummed in reply, curious at to her sudden silence, though she quickly turned the subject around as she shook her head.

"N-Nevermind," she finished.

Link eyed her skeptically, though figured to leave her to her own devices as he nodded softly, "Alright. Hey, did you make all these?"

"Oh, no," she answered with a start, examining the collection of tiny Zora delicacies, "Well, actually, the carp sushi I cook- Or rather, I prepared. I couldn't cook if a rolling pin smacked my upside the head, so- I wanted to be a good host, though."

Link listened with interest before taking a piece of the uncooked carp, rudimentarily rolled up along with various vegetables within a wrap of seaweed, and carefully taking a bite of it, much to Mipha's horror. She recoiled, terrified of Link's distaste for anything her inept hands might bring to his pallet, compared to his own talents for cooking, but Link simply nodded with contentedness, assuring Mipha easily enough.

"Pretty good," he smiled slightly, allowing him to finish the piece in his hand.

Mipha's eyes immediately lit up as she beamed, more that he was willing to take a second bite than his compliment, though she still ejected with excitement, "Really?!"

"Did you choose the ingredients?" Link wondered curiously.

Proudly, still radiant with happiness, Mipha declared, "Yes! I remembered something of a recipe, so I tried my best to replicate it!"

"Well, your layering was great; I got a taste of everything in each bite," Link acknowledged simply, "Awesome job."

Her eyes shut, cheeks drawn behind her smile, Mipha glowed with a sort of brilliance that might accompany a great, accomplished host, or perhaps somebody whose lover had just found great joy in something of their doing. Perhaps a mixture of the two, though the compliments coming from Link certainly didn't prevent Mipha's reaction, even as he gave her a critiquing glance.

"Now who's really cute?" he wondered with a grin.

A giggle escaped her as Mipha's mind flew atwirl, though she gave a sudden start as she felt Link's hand brush her shoulder, her eyes widening as he brought a finger to the grandiose necklace adorning her scales. She turned her head to watch him run his thumb along the jewels there, as if piecing them together, attempting to find a place upon her skin where he might leave their brilliance among her very scales.

"Now who's beautiful," Link offered with a soft smile, earning him a warm, nervous-tinged grin from Mipha in reply, "I wasn't even old enough to know what attraction was, yet- I knew you were beautiful. even before you wore these."

Mipha resisted the urge to turn her eyes away, keeping them solely upon the man before her. Her nerves, her emotions, her very soul she was prepared to surrender to his bidding, as if she were prepared for his eyes to simply cause her body to shiver.

"They're, uh-" Mipha stammered in reply, "My people have always figured royalty needed something to adorn our scales. Something like ornamental scales, I suppose. You can't find these cuts of jewels anywhere but on a Zora; that's why we got as far as we did at the reservoir."

Her voice trembled, "They very much mean that I'm one of the Zora. That I belong to my people."

Link's eyes jumped from her necklace to her eyes, "What if you were to belong to me? What then?"

Left with a breathless echo as the only voice she had, Mipha's legs shook in dumbfounded fluttering that radiated from her heart. Link's hand was like a torch upon her skin as he clutched her shoulder, both their breaths shaking as the space between them danced in coalescing steam between their mouths.

"I- I-" Mipha finally broke though, but to no avail, her stammering going on, "I-"

"You wouldn't need to wear these gems," Link surmised, his own weakening breaths growing ever more apparent, "The only thing you need upon your scales-"

He tugged at her necklace ever so lightly.

"-are my lips."

Mipha's eyes shook even as they focused indelibly on his, "You say that, but- Link, have you any clue how long we would have to keep this a secret? I'll be forever expected to-"

"Let it be secret then," he answered, "Let me be the only one who knows how the thought of us together leaves your heart alight. Let me know that your thoughts-"

He quickly tilted his head up to kiss the crest of her forehead, "I'll leave my kisses upon you. traced in between your scales where they'll remain until you need them."

Mipha grinned at the thought, finally turning her head, "I'm not certain how secret it is, even now."

With a start, Link's brow fell forward in confusion, "What do you mean?"

"I mean, that we're sharing this room together was Zelda's doing to begin with," answered Mipha innocently enough.

Link sighed, dropping his head with relief, "Goddess, I thought you were going to say Urbosa…"

"I think you'd have already known had that been true," Mipha giggled, "I believe Zelda understands. It's safe with her. I don't think we need to be a distraction even for the Champions."

Link nodded, "I believe you're right, but- I don't know. I was serious when I said I minded how cute you are."

Mipha's head fell to the side in confusion.

"Seeing you every day. It makes it difficult not to simply pick you up and take you off to some far-off place," Link spoke with a timid smile.

Such affection had largely been absent from Mipha, causing a swell at her heart. Instead of retreating in a nervous dash, however, she merely pushed her head toward Link's chest, wrapping her arms around him as she nuzzled ever closer against him, losing herself in his warmth while his arms reciprocated the motion, instead pulling her closer so that he could rest his head atop her own.

"I can't wait," Mipha admitted, releasing her face from his chest only to force her words unmuffled before returning to him.

Link chuckled, rustling her torso as he did so, before taking another kiss from her scalp, his brow furrowing in thought before taking another kiss, this time with his lips lingering only slightly. Another kiss followed as Mipha's expression drew crooked before she escaped his chest, wondering aloud with sincere confusion.

"Uh, Link? Is there a reason your chest is growing warmer?" she wondered curiously, "Are you okay?"

Nodding, Link allowed, "Yeah. I just suspected as much."

Doing little to alleviate her confusion, Mipha pulled away to find Link's face just above her, "…suspected what?"

"Nothing," Link chuckled with a hint of boyish nerves, "It's just- You should cook more. It was rather lovely, finding the taste of your skin on your food."

With a massive, blood-curdling shiver, Mipha's eyes blew wide open in a self-conscious mess of emotions before something from the most primal recesses of her mind tore beyond her tongue, "SQUEE-!"

Before her squeak could finish, Mipha buried her face into Link's chest, clutching desperately at his shirt to pull it around her head in a vain effort to conceal herself, though such an act only brought more endearment the way of Link as he carefully remained on his feet despite her tugging. There they stood for a moment as her heart calmed.

"Cute," Link reminded as he stroked her dorsal fin, gently pulling it along the curves at the back of her head.