Nearly two weeks later, Prince Sidon sat in the living room early in the morning with Impa, waiting for Paya to awaken. "Elder Impa, may I speak with you privately? Paya is still asleep upstairs." To his surprise, the old woman said nothing, but immediately got down from her seat in the back of the living room and walked toward him without the use of her motorized chair. She saw him staring. "Don't be so surprised, Sidon. I can get around short distances. It's only the long ones that tire me." He bent way down and held out his arm to her, and she took it as he walked with her out to her deck by the wooden double front doors.
"What would you like to speak to me about, young prince?"
"Well, Elder Impa, to put it plainly, I came to ask your permission to marry your granddaughter."
Impa tried and succeeded in hiding her elation. She gently looked up, deep into his golden eyes. She could see they were full of love. She turned away, hiding her smile, then turned back to him with a serious look on her face.
"Young prince, I will give my blessing to you on one condition."
His eyes brightened, his heart leapt, and he got down on one knee to clasp both of Impa's hands. "Yes?"
"Promise me you will visit often. I missed her terribly during those weeks, but I knew it was for the best, for both of us."
"Of course, Impa! You have my word. Now that Purah is working on the travel gates, we will be able to visit you as often as you would like, and you'll be able to visit us easily! In fact, she should have the one in Kakariko Village completed anytime now!"
The old woman's eyes brightened. "Sidon, that's wonderful news!" She hugged the young prince's leg, suddenly feeling how Purah must feel all the time, and Sidon easily scooped Impa up in his arms and gave her a proper, gentle hug. He placed her back down softly.
"Thank you, Impa. I am so happy you agreed."
"How could I say no? After seeing how the two of you look at each other, I would be a fool to refuse."
Prince Sidon snuck out of the spare bedroom upstairs early the next morning without waking Paya. Impa was waiting in her usual place in the living room and gave him a "thumbs up" on the way out. The plan was simple. If Paya woke up, she would simply tell her he went for a walk and would be back shortly.
He made his way up the path through the village with the set of Paya's Zora Armor in tow. A few scattered early risers were bowing and curtsying to him and staring wide-eyed, wondering why the royal prince of the Zora would come to such a quaint little village. The truth was he loved this village, and the thought of having a simple, normal life somewhat appealed to him, but he knew for himself that would be impossible. King Link and Queen Zelda were on their way to getting that life for themselves in Hateno Village, but as a Zora he would and could never live anywhere but Zora's Domain.
He made a vow long ago to do away with formalities and treat everyone as his equal. Being considered higher ranking than others turned his stomach, and never liked having to use his authority around the guards or others in Zora's Domain. He was no more important than the trembling young Sheikah girl who just curtsied to him from her front porch. He gave her a friendly smile and a wave as he passed, telling her that she could refer to him as Sidon, and the little girl immediately stood and grinned up at him.
With his spirits lifted, he found himself standing in front of the Great Fairy Fountain again, and he held up the full set of female Zora Armor he had been carrying in his arms.
He heard a rumbling from below as he stepped closer to the fountain, and the Great Fairy Cotera leapt up from the depths with a splash. "Back so soon? Do you have the necessary materials?"
"Well, you see Cotera, my understanding is you need monster parts to enhance armor. Now that Calamity Ganon has been defeated and cast out of all the Realms, the monsters you require parts from no longer exist. I still pray you will hear my story and do me the great honor of helping me."
"Hmmm. I like your nerve, Zora prince. I see you are very brave and wise beyond your years. Please, come closer so I may look into your eyes and assess your heart. I must warn you, if I detect any impurities within you, the fairy magic you seek will turn into a curse that cannot be broken. Do you wish to proceed?"
Without hesitation, Prince Sidon said "I do."
"Excellent! Step right up, onto the platform please." He did as instructed.
"Now, tell me, traveler, what is your story?"
"I have fallen deeply in love with a Sheikah woman. I wish to ask for her hand in marriage, and I have received permission and blessing from her grandmother, the Kakariko Village elder. She–"
Cotera cut him off. "What did you say? The village elder, Impa? I know her well. Go on."
"I am in love with Impa's granddaughter, Paya. As a Zora, it is our custom to craft a set of Zora Armor to propose, instead of a ring, although some may choose to have both. I will leave that up to her. I have been crafting this Zora Armor since a few days after Paya came to Zora's domain for a moon-long visit. I fell in love with her quickly, and I set to work quickly, even staying up all night on one of our last nights together. I almost got caught because she woke up on her own without me knocking, but she never asked why I slept in late."
Cotera was smiling down at him. "Proceed."
He lifted the Zora Armor up closer to her so she could take a look at it. "You see, Great Fairy, I would like to enhance this armor so that she may not only swim up waterfalls and swim faster in the water, but I would love for her to be able to jump from any waterfall of any height without getting hurt. Paya absolutely loved it when I held her in my arms and wrapped myself around her like a shield and jumped down hundreds of feet into the water with her, but I would love for her to experience firsthand what it feels like to be a Zora."
The Great Fairy was considering everything the prince was saying. "I see you have taken great care to craft this Zora Armor. Very well done. I will enhance it as you have asked."
"Thank you, Great Fairy. However, if I may, there is one more thing. I realize by marrying a Sheikah that I will long outlive her. She will grow old while I remain relatively young, and I cannot bear the thought of her leaving me for possibly hundreds of years before I see her again in the Spirit Realm. I know this is a lot to ask, and I don't know if you have the ability to do this, but I would like to age at the same rate as Paya and pass when she does. I don't want to spend a single moment without her."
The Great Fairy was listening to his story with dreamy, and then teary, eyes. She waited a while before speaking, and she held her large hands out to him while she assessed him, gazing into his eyes like King Dorephan gazed into Paya's.
Cotera finally spoke. "Young prince, I see the love in your heart you have for the village elder's granddaughter. I detect no impurities in your motives or your heart whatsoever. You are willing to selflessly give up hundreds of years of your life so you may always be with your beloved. Prince Sidon, you are the purest Zora, or any being of Hyrule, I have ever encountered, with the exception of the King and Queen of Hyrule. Your heart is as pure as theirs. I will grant your request."
Prince Sidon could hardly contain himself. He knelt down on his knees atop the platform and managed a relieved, "Thank you."
The Great Fairy chuckled in a tinkling, musical laugh. "Prince Sidon, I thank you for pointing out what should have been obvious to me before, about the monster parts. I don't know why I never thought of that, honestly. I suppose I will have to come up with a different form of payment…" The Great Fairy seemed to be lost in thought for a moment, then continued speaking. "Ahem. Anyway, please hold the Zora armor in front of you. I will enhance your armor to the maximum. She will be totally invincible in this armor set, and no harm will come to her while wearing it. And you will both age together, and you will never spend a single moment of your life without Paya. It is done. Congratulations, young Prince."
Before Prince Sidon's joyous tears left his eyes, Cotera immediately scooped the Zora and the armor into her giant hand with a great swing of her arm, and she dropped down into the waters with him into the Fairy Fountain. He opened his eyes under the water and was amazed at what he saw. Fairies of all kinds were within, cheering him on and blowing fairy dust his way. It was like a whole other Realm full of fairies he never knew existed, and he could see it all at once while under the water. Before he could take it all in, he suddenly found himself standing on the platform again, holding Paya's newly sparkling, glowing set of armor in his hands with the Great Fairy in front of him, and an enhanced soul that felt both old and young to him all at the same time.
"Well done, young prince. Paya is a very lucky woman." She winked at him, and with a great leap into the air, she jumped back into the water, but before disappearing completely, she flashed a pair of tail fins at him and waved them at him.
Prince Sidon gasped. "That was a mermaid! I always knew they existed!" As soon as he said that, Cotera popped her head up from the water with a finger over her lips. "Young Zora prince, I trust that you will keep that little tidbit a secret, just between us. You may tell Paya. Impa already knows."
"You have my word, Cotera. And thank you for your help."
"Thank you, Prince Sidon." She waved goodbye and immediately disappeared under the surface again.
He walked away quickly, hoping to sneak back inside Impa's house and hide the armor again before Paya awakened. Impa was going to place an apple at the doorway if it was safe to enter, and to his delight he saw the apple as he approached the top of the long stairway that led to her house. He picked it up and quietly opened the door. Impa beamed from across the room at the sight of the enhanced shimmering gold and deep blue Zora Armor he crafted. She wondered at the slightly lingering golden aura she saw around Prince Sidon, only later hearing about what he had done.
"She is sound asleep. Hurry! I see you have succeeded. Well done, my grandson."
Prince Sidon ran to hug Impa, and she embraced him quickly. He quietly slipped into the spare bedroom and hid the armor in the bottom of his bag, ready to propose to her anytime now. He just had to wait for the perfect moment. He waited for his golden aura to disappear, then knocked softly on Paya's door. She awakened at the sound. "Good morning, my prince. Please come in."
He stepped into the room, planting a sweet kiss on her lips, then left the room and went downstairs to Impa while she changed clothes and gathered herself for the day. She came downstairs to greet him in one of her dresses he had picked out for her in Zora's Domain, and Impa gasped.
"My dear Paya, before you came home I had only ever seen you in Sheikah clothing, but these vibrant colors suit you well. I know you never believed me when I said you are beautiful, but please, how can you see yourself and not believe you are?"
With tears in her eyes, Paya ran to embrace the old woman. "Grandmother, that was one of the first lessons I learned while in Zora's Domain. I learned to see the beauty within myself, and now I know in my heart that what you've always said is true. I was only able to love another after first learning to love myself."
Impa whispered a silent "Thank you, Sidon" to him while she embraced her granddaughter with tears in her eyes.
"I love you, Grandmother."
"I love you too, my dear Paya. I am so glad you and Sidon have graciously decided to visit."
After breakfast, Prince Sidon told Paya he wanted to go on a walk with her, and they should bring their bags. He placed his bag on his back, then helped Paya pack hers and placed it on his back, too.
It had been exactly two weeks since they left Zora's Domain, and the Prince prayed silently that his plan would work. He led Paya by the hand to the shrine above Kakariko Village.
Paya gave him a confused look. "Oh, Sidon, I'm not quite ready to leave the village again yet."
"I know, my sweet flower. We won't be long. I just want to see something. May I carry you?"
"Yes, Sidon."
He lifted her up, and he stepped quickly onto the platform with her in his arms. His heart leapt when the robotic voice sounded.
"Please state your destination."
"Zora's Domain."
"What? Sidon? Wait! It works? We can come back anytime!"
"Precisely, my love."
"Would you like the Ne'ez Yoma Shrine?"
"Yes."
He smiled at her as the robotic voice began the countdown, then as they were awash in the familiar bright blue light. They were instantly back in the heart of Zora's Domain.
He clasped her hand and ran as fast as he could with Paya, across the entire Great Zora Bridge, so she was standing facing it and Zora's Domain. This was the first place he showed her that took her breath away, and he wanted to do the same. In the place where they shared their first kiss, he took her by the hand, and he got down on one knee. Paya immediately stared at him in shock, followed by butterflies dancing in her stomach.
"Paya...my treasure sent straight from the Goddess herself: I have loved you since I first laid eyes on you at the Royal Wedding when you caught Zelda's bouquet. When you fainted in my arms and thanked me for catching you, I meant what I said when I told you you're Hylia's perfect work of art. I know we haven't been together long, but I know in my heart you are my forever love."
He bent down to his bag on the ground and lifted the female Zora Armor set to her in one hand, with his other hand still clasping hers.
"So Paya, I must ask: with this armor, will you do me the great honor of becoming my princess for life? Will you marry me?"
She could hardly get the words out before she managed to cry, "Yes, Sidon! Yes, I will!" as she jumped into his arms, plastering him with seemingly endless kisses. When she finally calmed down, she placed the Zora Armor over herself, and it was a perfect fit, to Sidon's relief.
"My dear Paya, I began crafting this Zora Armor from nearly the first day you came to Zora's Domain. I worked hours every night, hardly sleeping, and I asked you for extra days not only because I selfishly wanted you to stay longer, but because I needed that extra time to finish your armor. When we went to Kakariko Village, I visited The Great Fairy a second time, and she agreed to enhance it to the maximum. Not only will you be able to swim faster and swim up waterfalls on your own, but you will be completely invincible while wearing this armor, making it the most powerful armor in existence. My sweet flower, you will now be able to jump from waterfalls of any height without fear of hurting yourself."
Paya could only stand there listening to him, shaking her head and crying with a hand over her mouth.
"And that's not all, my dear. I never want to spend a single moment apart from you for the rest of my life, and the Great Fairy has granted my request. You see, since the Zora age differently than the Sheikah, I knew by marrying you that you would age much faster than I, and I would possibly spend hundreds of years without you. I couldn't bear the thought. Long story short, thanks to the Great Fairy I will now age with you and pass on to the Spirit Realm with you when it is your time. I never will have to spend a single moment of my life without you, in this life or the next."
Paya was speechless with tears running down her face, and it took her some time and several deep breaths to be able to form words. "Sidon...you gave up hundreds of years of your life...all for me?"
"Yes, Paya, without hesitation, and I would do it again."
He lifted her up to himself, embracing her and wiping her tears away. His voice was kind. "Come now. I have somewhere I'd like to take you."
He took her to the highest point in Zora's Domain, looking out over the waters with a faded warning sign sitting at the top addressed to jumpers. It was a popular spot for daring Zora to dive from, and Prince Sidon had done it countless times. Paya didn't hesitate to jump first in the Zora Armor, free falling and enjoying every second of the long drop. She was followed closely by Sidon, and they both hit the water unharmed, finally surfacing together. Once she had caught her breath from the sheer exhilaration, she looked him in the eyes and clasped the sides of his face with her hands and kissed him. "My prince, I finally know what it's like to be a Zora!"
"And a fine Zora you make, my exquisite Princess!"
Two months later, the second royal wedding King Link was so excited to attend finally happened in Zora's Domain. Impa walked Paya down the aisle of the Great Zora Bridge in her motorized chair. The wedding was officiated by King Link, who read the traditional Hyrulean wedding blessing, clasping Paya and Sidon's hands as he knelt down to recite it from memory.
"May your love endure as the Deku Tree
With the confidence of the Rito,
The intensity of the Gorons,
The grace of the Zora,
The spirit of the Gerudo,
And the courage of the Hylians.
May your legacy be as timeless as the Sheikah,
And may the Goddess smile upon you."
Purah kept busy snapping pictures, and King Dorephan finally got to personally thank Impa for raising such a pure-hearted Sheikah. The entire kingdom celebrated the Zora Prince and new Sheikah Princess of Zora's Domain.
After the wedding and the newlyweds were sent off to their honeymoon in Lurelin Village, King Dorephan turned to Muzu. "You owe me big."
Muzu surrendered an entire armful of Luminous Stones, and he turned back toward the king. "I should have known better than to bet against you a second time. I really didn't think he would be willing to give up that many years of his life. That was my mistake."
"That it was, Muzu. You should have known by now that the royal family doesn't play around."
"Ah, well. At least we can rest easy when our time in this Realm is done knowing Zora's Domain will be in excellent fins...and hands."
King Dorephan slapped Muzu on the back with his fin, laughing out loud.
...And the Zora prince and the slightly less shy Sheikah princess lived happily ever after.
THE END