Mipha stood in the door, eyes closed and a small smile adorning her face as she listened to the lullaby that drifted toward her. She'd had no doubt that Link would make something of the small blue instrument, but she hadn't expected it to sound quite so beautiful. And she wasn't the only one enamored with it. Alolu and Leru, having long since entangled their father in their fins, had convinced him to play lullabies for them before sleep could claim them for the night.
She wasn't quite sure of the origins of the melody that he played, but there was something almost enchanting about it. Whenever he played it, the tune would entrance all who heard it, even Muzu, leaving the often curt elder far more amenable than normal. If she wasn't careful, Mipha would find herself in a stupor, unable to find a reason to worry about what had previously been bothering her.
That was, of course, when she didn't fall asleep outright. There had been a few times where she remembered watching her daughters fall asleep to the sound of the song, only to find herself being tucked in in what seemed to be seconds later. It occurred to her that perhaps she should be embarrassed by such a thing, but she couldn't bring herself to care. Even the memory of it was enough to soothe her somehow.
In truth, it reminded her of her own childhood, listening to her mother sing or her father regale her of stories as she waited to drift off herself.
"Mipha?"
The Zora Princess opened her eyes groggily. "Hmm?" she hummed.
"Ready to go?" he asked quietly.
That was when it finally occurred to her that the music was no longer filling the room. Looking over, she noticed both Alolu and Leru curled up, eyes closed as they breathed deeply. "Oh… yes, of course."
Link chuckled quietly as he offered her an arm.
Mipha gratefully accepted, feeling a bit unsteady as they began the short trek back to their private quarters.
"I really should stop listening to you play that lullaby," Mipha said, stifling a yawn. "I feel as though I'm about to collapse."
Link chuckled again, checking their surroundings for any observers before encouraging her to lean on him more. Something which she was eager to indulge in.
Soon enough, they were in the privacy of their own room, and Mipha was free to sag against her husband as he all but carried her to their bed.
"It really is so pretty though," she murmured as Link helped her sit on the mattress.
"Yeah," he agreed.
"I wonder what it's called." She felt herself coming to slowly, just aware enough to notice Link was removing her jewelry gingerly. She watched him place each piece of her ensemble in her jewelry box with care.
"Don't know," he said. "Apparently it was written before the Calamity."
"Hmm," she hummed again. "Have you asked Kass about it?"
"He's the one that taught me," Link replied quietly as he finished putting her jewelry away. "He taught me another one." He finally turned to face her. "Would you like to hear it?"
"I would love to. But it won't be too much?"
He shook his head with a warm smile. He then motioned for her to lie back as he pulled a chair to their bedside. Mipha considered arguing, but thought better of it as she considered what effect the lullaby had while she was standing.
Laying back, she kept her eyes firmly planted on his face as he raised the ocarina to his lips.
As the first notes hit her ears, their room began to disappear, as did the waterbed beneath her. She felt rather than saw the fading light of the moon illuminating her. Around her, cool, healing water embraced her, drawing her in deeper and deeper. There were few comforts greater to a Zora.
What was left of her conscious mind could still hear the notes, and felt them in the waves, saw them in the dancing light of the moon, and heard them resonating in the deep.
Closing her eyes, the Zora Princess let the currents sweep her away into the depths of a song long forgotten by time.