The Princess of the Zoras
Disclaimer: Take a long walk off a short pier. I DON'T OWN IT! GOT IT!?
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--Ruto: still 10, Link: Dondongo's Cavern--
Ruto is sitting on her bed. On the table next to her rests the Sapphire. She stares at the floor, totally confused. It has been about two months since she went to the Water Temple and got the message from her mother. She has been watching Jabu-Jabu very closely, and doesn't like what she is seeing. He is really getting sick. Ruto can't bring herself to believe it, but she can't seem to deny it either. The Gerudo man has shown up three more times. Each time he demands her father give him the Sapphire.
"It's not his to give." Ruto says to herself. "And I'm not marrying you!" Ruto is fuming at the man's attempt to steal it. King Zora always has Ruto carefully out of sight whenever that man shows up. But Ruto knows that it can't last forever...
"Your Highness?" Noran's voice calls through the door. Ruto jumps off her bed and opens the door. Noran looks down at her with a confused look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Ruto asks.
"Did you tell the priestesses at the Water Temple to leave?" Noran asks.
"No! Of course not!" Ruto practically shouts. Noran is even more confused.
"One of them says you did, and the entrance is sealed now..." Ruto is speechless. She runs off. Noran stands there in shock for a moment, then follows.
--Throne Room--
Ruto just finished telling King Zora what Noran told her. King Zora frowns as Noran comes forward.
"Noran, bring one of the priestesses here. Whichever one you find first." King Zora commands. Noran bows and hurries off.
"What's happening Daddy?" Ruto asks. King Zora just shakes his head.
"I wish I knew." He replies. "I... oh." Noran returns with one of the priestesses.
"Priestess Korine, Your Majesty," she identifies herself. "What can I do for you?"
"You can start by telling me why you and your fellow priestesses are not in the Temple where you should be." King Zora says.
"Her Highness ordered us to leave." Korine replies confused.
"DID NOT!" Ruto shouts. King Zora motions for her to calm down. Ruto sits down next to her father.
"You... didn't?" Korine doesn't know what to make of this. "But, message was sent..."
"Who sent the message!?" King Zora interrupts her.
"Orune... Guard Orune." Korine replies. "He said he had official orders from Her Highness." King Zora seems to pale.
"Daddy?" Ruto notices her father's distress. "What's wrong?"
"Noran, get some of the other guards and arrest him at once!" King Zora finally gets out. Noran bows, then rushes off calling her colleagues.
"Your Majesty?" Korine asks.
"Daddy?" Ruto says at the same time. King Zora seems lost.
"Korine, can you re-enter the temple?" he asks.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty, none of us can..." Korine says bowing her head.
"Daddy? What's going on?" Ruto asks.
"I'll tell you as soon as I figure it out myself." King Zora promises. Ruto looks at him, then (with permission) goes off to finish her chores.
--Next Day, Jabu-Jabu's shrine--
"Noran," Ruto asks after she finishes her duties to Jabu-Jabu, "What is a 'traitor'?" Noran thinks a moment.
"It is someone whom you thought was loyal to you, but turned out to be against you the whole time." She finally says. Ruto looks at her strangely.
"And you don't know who they are!?" She exclaims. "That's scary!"
"I know. But there usually aren't many, so you can rest a little easier." Noran tries to reassure her. She notices Ruto looking back at Jabu- Jabu. "What?" she asks.
"He... It seems like he is struggling for breath." She says. Noran turns grim.
"We better report it." She says. They head for King Zora's throne, only to find him coming up to them.
"Father!" Ruto cries.
"It usually doesn't take you that long to feed him," he says, "even with the 'extra care' you give him." He adds with a glance at Noran. Noran herself carefully stays blank.
"He doesn't sound well." Ruto says. "I'm scared." King Zora's face turns grim.
"We better hope it is nothing serious." He says. "There really isn't much we can do if he really is ill."
"What about the help Mother promised?" Ruto asks hopefully.
"It's the only chance we have if he really...is... oh no." King Zora's face falls suddenly.
"Your Majesty?" Noran asks carefully.
"The Gerudo..." King Zora almost whispers. He looks Noran full in the face. "Protect Ruto with your life. That is now your sole duty." Noran stands at attention and gives the Zoran salute.
"Daddy..." Ruto still doesn't know what is going on. Noran takes her hand and follows King Zora out of the shrine.
Disclaimer: Take a long walk off a short pier. I DON'T OWN IT! GOT IT!?
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--Ruto: still 10, Link: Dondongo's Cavern--
Ruto is sitting on her bed. On the table next to her rests the Sapphire. She stares at the floor, totally confused. It has been about two months since she went to the Water Temple and got the message from her mother. She has been watching Jabu-Jabu very closely, and doesn't like what she is seeing. He is really getting sick. Ruto can't bring herself to believe it, but she can't seem to deny it either. The Gerudo man has shown up three more times. Each time he demands her father give him the Sapphire.
"It's not his to give." Ruto says to herself. "And I'm not marrying you!" Ruto is fuming at the man's attempt to steal it. King Zora always has Ruto carefully out of sight whenever that man shows up. But Ruto knows that it can't last forever...
"Your Highness?" Noran's voice calls through the door. Ruto jumps off her bed and opens the door. Noran looks down at her with a confused look on her face.
"What's wrong?" Ruto asks.
"Did you tell the priestesses at the Water Temple to leave?" Noran asks.
"No! Of course not!" Ruto practically shouts. Noran is even more confused.
"One of them says you did, and the entrance is sealed now..." Ruto is speechless. She runs off. Noran stands there in shock for a moment, then follows.
--Throne Room--
Ruto just finished telling King Zora what Noran told her. King Zora frowns as Noran comes forward.
"Noran, bring one of the priestesses here. Whichever one you find first." King Zora commands. Noran bows and hurries off.
"What's happening Daddy?" Ruto asks. King Zora just shakes his head.
"I wish I knew." He replies. "I... oh." Noran returns with one of the priestesses.
"Priestess Korine, Your Majesty," she identifies herself. "What can I do for you?"
"You can start by telling me why you and your fellow priestesses are not in the Temple where you should be." King Zora says.
"Her Highness ordered us to leave." Korine replies confused.
"DID NOT!" Ruto shouts. King Zora motions for her to calm down. Ruto sits down next to her father.
"You... didn't?" Korine doesn't know what to make of this. "But, message was sent..."
"Who sent the message!?" King Zora interrupts her.
"Orune... Guard Orune." Korine replies. "He said he had official orders from Her Highness." King Zora seems to pale.
"Daddy?" Ruto notices her father's distress. "What's wrong?"
"Noran, get some of the other guards and arrest him at once!" King Zora finally gets out. Noran bows, then rushes off calling her colleagues.
"Your Majesty?" Korine asks.
"Daddy?" Ruto says at the same time. King Zora seems lost.
"Korine, can you re-enter the temple?" he asks.
"I'm sorry Your Majesty, none of us can..." Korine says bowing her head.
"Daddy? What's going on?" Ruto asks.
"I'll tell you as soon as I figure it out myself." King Zora promises. Ruto looks at him, then (with permission) goes off to finish her chores.
--Next Day, Jabu-Jabu's shrine--
"Noran," Ruto asks after she finishes her duties to Jabu-Jabu, "What is a 'traitor'?" Noran thinks a moment.
"It is someone whom you thought was loyal to you, but turned out to be against you the whole time." She finally says. Ruto looks at her strangely.
"And you don't know who they are!?" She exclaims. "That's scary!"
"I know. But there usually aren't many, so you can rest a little easier." Noran tries to reassure her. She notices Ruto looking back at Jabu- Jabu. "What?" she asks.
"He... It seems like he is struggling for breath." She says. Noran turns grim.
"We better report it." She says. They head for King Zora's throne, only to find him coming up to them.
"Father!" Ruto cries.
"It usually doesn't take you that long to feed him," he says, "even with the 'extra care' you give him." He adds with a glance at Noran. Noran herself carefully stays blank.
"He doesn't sound well." Ruto says. "I'm scared." King Zora's face turns grim.
"We better hope it is nothing serious." He says. "There really isn't much we can do if he really is ill."
"What about the help Mother promised?" Ruto asks hopefully.
"It's the only chance we have if he really...is... oh no." King Zora's face falls suddenly.
"Your Majesty?" Noran asks carefully.
"The Gerudo..." King Zora almost whispers. He looks Noran full in the face. "Protect Ruto with your life. That is now your sole duty." Noran stands at attention and gives the Zoran salute.
"Daddy..." Ruto still doesn't know what is going on. Noran takes her hand and follows King Zora out of the shrine.