Erm, yeah! Zelda Characters and Places not mine. Dura and Joulee are. Longer A/N at bottom. Enjoy!

We stood together for a short while before I noticed that Joulee was starting to get tired. I convinced her to sit down and we both sat down on her bed. We didn't speak, we just sat in silence.

It was steadily getting dark, the window in her room revealing that the sun was setting. I looked over to Joulee, her face slowly being covered in shadows. I didn't like that. I wanted to see her face for as long as I was here with her and I don't want to miss a moment of it.

"I'll get some matches from Telma." I murmured as I began to rise to my feet. Her hand gently gripped my arm and I turned to look at her. She shook her head and stood herself. I sat back down and watched her as she approached the nearest lantern. I was confused when she reached out her hand and cupped the kindling of the torch in her hands.

It then suddenly burst into flames. A gasp escaped me against my will and she turned around to face me. Her features were lit in the glow of the torch and I saw the small smirk that tugged at her lips at my shock. Joulee raised her hand once more and with a snap of her fingers, the rest of the room's torches were set ablaze out of thin air.

I was still in a bit of shock as she came back over to me and sat down.

"Din has been kind to me. She has kept me warm during the desert's cold nights." She answered my unspoken question with a sad smile on her lips. Her eyes wouldn't look to mine and instead looked to the wooden floor. After another few moments of silence, she looked up to me and gently took one of my hands in hers. "What about you? Has Nayru been kind?" Her eyes were their normal mask, but the smile she held was that of kindness.

I wondered why she just didn't say the Goddesses, but I didn't ask.

"She has been fair. Though, I wish I could say the same thing about you…" I couldn't help it. I had to say what was on my mind before I exploded. What she did to me, to everyone, was unacceptable. "Why did you leave? And I know it wasn't just because you thought I hated you." I spoke softly yet sternly, my hand now gripped hers.

Her shoulders slumped and her free hand rubbed the back of her neck. She was thinking about what to say and thinking very hard. Her eyes were shut tightly and her lips were turned down in a slight scowl. It must be hard for her to tell me.

She sighed.

"I… I just needed to find myself." She murmured finally, eyes still closed. "I needed to think over what happened that day Auru died. I needed to let out my anger and frustration." Her eyes fluttered open and she finally looked up to me, her eyes blazing with an emotion I couldn't place. "I needed to end my confusion of who... and what I was- am."

The emphasis on the word 'what' frightened me a little, for a fire lit in her eyes as she uttered the word. It was like she found out something that no person should ever know. I wanted to ask what she found- Goddess, I needed to ask- but I refrained from doing so. Last thing I wanted at this moment was for her to shut me out completely from her life or even just ask me to leave. I thought of the most mundane question I could ask.

"What now?"

She blinked. Her brows furrowed a bit as if she was confused.

"What now?" She repeated. "I am going back to the desert tonight." Joulee answered in a tone that had air to it as if what she said was obvious.

I inhaled slightly.

"What?" My voice came out shocked and I didn't hold it back. "Tonight?"

She sighed, releasing my hand.

"Now, Ralis-"

"Don't give me that." I was angry. The anger that I have felt finally surfaced after almost a year of holding it in. "First you leave without telling anyone, come back after nearly a year, and then just leave?" I quickly stood, glaring down at her. She didn't budge, just looked up to me with a glare of her own.

"Now listen-" She started, but I didn't let her speak.

"No. You listen to me." I forcefully spoke. "For once in your life, listen to me." I clenched my fists, feeling my nails bite into my skin. "You are very selfish, you know that? You life wasn't exactly the best- I know. But it was still full of people who loved you, who cared about you, and who saw you as their family. And what do you do? You go and run off to the desert after not attending Auru's funeral -the man who considered you his daughter." My hand angrily motioned to the door as I then continued my rant.

"Then you worry the ones who still care about you to no end. Have you seen Telma? She had gone gray with worry within a month of your leaving. I could –maybe- understand not coming to his funeral, but just leaving without a word? What was running through your mind?" My chest was heaving as I dropped my hand to my side.

During my speech, Joulee had stood in front of me and just glared. Her lips were a tight line and her brows were furrowed deeper, her eyes still a mask.

"Well?" I cued her on.

"You didn't want to see me." She whispered so softly that I almost didn't hear her speak.

"What?" I asked, still angry.

"You didn't want to see me!" She yelled this time and it was hard for me not to hear her. "I came to see you that night, to just talk to you, but you had a damned guard turn me away!" Tears swelled in her eyes as I took in her words, my hands loosening from their tight fists. "I wasn't planning on leaving at all until the one person who didn't see me as Auru's charity case said that he didn't want to see me!" She took a step toward me and pointed to my chest in an angry gesture.

"It is your fault for my leaving." She hissed, her eyes letting loose the tears as the anger burning in her golden eyes.

I had to repeat her speech in my mind a few times before I got to the point of her whole rant. I straighten out my back to stand me at my full height as I looked down to her.

"I did no such thing." I said. She glared, still pointing to my chest.

"Liar." She hissed again.

I grabbed her wrist and pulled her closer to me as I continued to look down at her. No one calls me a liar.

"I swear on my mother's soul I did no such thing." I looked into her eyes, daring her to doubt me again. I would never lie to her.

Her eyes searched my own, her expression softening at the realization. Her gaze wandered to my chest as she thought and her hair hid her face from my view.

"But… I left a message with the guard to tell you that I was going to be gone." She choked out, crying even more. She looked back up to me and I released her wrist from my grasp, my arms now wrapping themselves around her small body. Her hands gripped at my shoulder blades as she cried into my chest. She had held me semi-accounted for her self-imposed exile to the desert. Her long time of solitude was invoked for no reason.

I shook my head, my anger slowly returning.

"I never got the message." My hand stroked her back gently. "I didn't even know you were there." I tried to reassure her as I still held her tightly to my chest. My own mind swam with unanswered questions. Why didn't the guard tell me? And why would he go to the trouble of even saying that I didn't want to speak to her…

"The Gerudo left without even telling anyone..."

Dura's voice echoed in my mind. My body tensed when the realization hit me hard and I had to hold back a growl.

Joulee must have felt me tense, for she looked up to me with concern. Tears still streaked her face and seeing her that way fueled my anger even more.

"Are you alright?" She asked softly, looking confused.

I shook my head.

"I was just thinking. I'm fine." I said as calmly as I could, smiling to her. "Come on. Let's go talk to Telma, alright?" She nodded gently and we both proceeded to leave her room in silence.

We talked to Telma for a while. Joulee apologized to her sincerely and Telma just waved it off.

I watched as the two women embraced and smiled.

Joulee decided to stay in town, though she was still going to go to the desert every once in a while. She didn't tell me the reason, but I didn't think it was my place to ask. Her reason was her own and I was just glad that I was going to be able to see her more often.

While the two women talked about arrangements, my mind wandered to Lord Dura. I didn't know what I was going to say, but I knew that I was going to confront him. I started thinking for the perfect words to tell him and then I was going to dismiss him as my advisor.

Yes, he was a good advisor for many years, but I have had enough of his prejudice toward people that were under him and not Zora. His anger toward Joulee was the straw that broke the camel's back, for she was someone who had done nothing to warrant his hatred. I had many ideas as to who my new advisor would be and Shad was the first to come to mind. If he could not, there were plenty of wise Zora that could take Dura's place.

Either way, Dura would be gone.

Telma made me wait till the next morning to head back to my Domain.

"Last thing I want is some Stalhounds attacking our Prince!"

I didn't correct her when she said Prince, for I frankly didn't care.

I swam home through the river, glad to feel the rush of water against my skin. Though it cooled my body down, it didn't cool my mind. I was ready to confront the older Zora, give him a piece of my mind, and then send him packing.

When I reached the lake that sat just under the falls, two guards saw me and waved. I waved back, but didn't approach them. I wasn't in the mood to have a light hearted conversation and I felt it would sound like I was about to bite their heads off. Instead of walking into the upper domain like I normally did, I decided to swim up the water fall in hopes that it would calm me down enough so I didn't sound like a rash, hot-tempered child.

I had barely made it to the top when I spotted Dura standing by the throne. His greedy eyes looked at it and it made an angry chill go up my spine. I swam over to him and got out of the water. A look of shock came to his features when he saw me. It was as if he didn't expect me to come back so soon.

"Your Highness, it is good to…" The words trailed off as he finally saw the glare that was on my features as I approached him.

"Go to the meeting room. We need to… discuss something." I held back my anger, though I did let some of it seep into my words to back up my stern tone. His normal confidence faltered, but he couldn't disobey me. With some reluctance, he nodded and headed to the meeting room.

I followed suit, closing the door behind us. As soon as I did so, the whole mood between us changed. No longer was he the confused noble- he became a man full of confidence and a smug look came to his features.

I didn't let this detour me.

"Lord Dura, did you keep a message from me?" I questioned, my arms crossed.

"Did you know that our people made their rules very tight?" He asked, his hands running across the table. I just then noticed the large book that was pulled from my library and was open to a certain page.

I ignored him.

"If this is true, I am afraid that I cannot trust you. I'm going to have to ask you for your resignation from your position."

"Free of any major loop holes or room for interpretation." A smug smile spread across his face. My brows furrowed. "Like these few rules I found…" He continued as his hand grazed one page the book was open to and grinned. "Would you care to read them, or shall I?" Dura looked up to me, his face still smug.

I was confused.

"Did you hear what I said?" I spoke, glaring.

He ignored me.

"This law states the following…" He cleared throat slightly for affect.

"The King has every right to appoint or dismiss his advisor- unless he is unwed. Only two monarchs, King and Queen of the Zora, can appoint or dismiss a man from or to his status. If it is a dismissal, during the time in which they search for a new advisor, the Queen will act in his stead. If the King –or Queen- is unwed, he has no authority to dismiss his advisor- for no one man can rule the Zora Domain."

My mouth was agape, not quite sure I heard him right. My arms fell to my sides and I was about to speak when Dura waved me off with his hand.

"I, of course, summarized it. Yet it is still the same in principle."

I still didn't believe him. But, he said there were no loop holes and I saw one right off the bat. A grin came to my lips, though I was still glaring.

"Alright- I'll marry and then you will be dismissed." I hissed and gave him a smug look of my own. When he did falter, and even grinned, I was confused once more.

"Oh, so you will marry a good Zora woman?" He said arrogantly, looking back down to the book to flip some pages.

Was he kidding?

"No. I have already told you who I wish to wed." Joulee. It would take a lot of convincing on my part, but I wholly think that she will come around as long as I didn't constrain her freedom.

"Ah, well, that isn't possible." He spoke, breaking my train of thought. He tapped his finger on yet another page in the book. "This law makes sure to it…" It looked as if he was about to read it aloud, but I got to the book before he could.

I pulled it from his grasp and my eyes scanned the page. My heart sank.

"It- It can't be." I murmured as I reread the law over and over. I heard Dura's footsteps come up behind me and looked over my shoulder.

"I think it can." He smiled maliciously. "The unwed King, Queen, Prince, or Princess of the Zora people must wed another Zora if they wished to keep their throne. If they wish to marry someone outside the Zora, they must relinquish their throne to the next in line for the crown." Dura stood up straight, his hands behind his back. "Which in this case would be me." Chuckling, he walked up to the nearest tapestry and inspected it. I was still in shock, but I wouldn't stop fighting.

"I'm King- I can change this law…" I looked up to him, failing to conceal my sudden anxiety.

Dura looked to the wall as if the tapestry was very fascinating, his hands clasped gently behind his back.

"Page three hundred four says otherwise." He spoke confidently and I knew without seeing his face that he was grinning.

I quickly flipped through the pages, searching each number in the corners until I found the one I was seeking. My eyes flew over the words and as I read, he spoke once more.

"The King or Queen cannot change a law without the consent of the other. If they are unmarried, the King or Queen must get consent by their advisor-"

"Enough!" I barked, looking away from the book as I slammed it shut. "I am capable of reading on my own." I reached a hand to my face and pinched the bridge of my nose, my eyes shut tightly.

I couldn't believe it. My people really made sure that there were no loop holes in their laws. I was backed into a corner with only two options.

And then as if Dura read my mind, he spoke.

"So your Highness, you have two choices; marry a Zora woman and be rid of me…" He turned to me, but I didn't look to his face. I just knew that his horrid grin would be on his face. "Or marry the Gerudo and I'll be King." A low chuckle escaped him as I heard his footsteps head to the door. "I win one way or another."

I whipped my face over to him and glared at his retreating back. That damned Dura cornered me. I had no proof of his disobedience toward me in this sound proof room, so I couldn't charge him with treason. I slid down into the nearest chair and buried my head into my hands, my shoulder slumped. The worst thing about it all is that I had to choice between the two things I cared about…

My people and the Woman I loved.

I don't know if I could choose.

Oh noes! Well, I liked writing this chapter, though I had to force it out of my mind at bits. I hope it turned out well! Oh and now we know Dura is a big jerk face! (Later on, he becomes an even BIGGER jerk face… but you didn't hear it from me!) Please Read and Review! Every comment counts! Unless it is flaming. Then you are a being a jerk too, for it is unnecessary. You don't have to read this. Sorry, just wanted to say something just in case! :D

EDIT:: Thank-you PlaguedByEarth for telling me the loophole- hope this fixes it xD