Chapter 1 - Early Days and Late Nights
Summary: The first week of married life for Mipha and Link in Zora's Domain. This story begins after "A Tale of Two Princesses".
It was shortly after sunset, and the only sounds were the constant chirping of crickets and the occasional hoot of owls. A half-moon peeked out now and then behind rolling banks of dark clouds. It had rained earlier that afternoon, but the weather was beautiful now, calm with only a light breeze.
A Zora and Hylian couple were moving quietly along the high ground northwest of Inogo Bridge. Inogo Bridge was the gateway to the part of the Lanayru Region of Hyrule that was home to Zora's Domain and the great Zora race. The small bridge offered travelers their first glimpse of the domain's beautiful and distinctive Luminous Stones architecture, and it was an impressive structure despite its short length.
The night was peaceful, a small swarm of Sunset Fireflies glowing near the riverbank. A Hightail Lizard gave up on holding still as they approached, and scurried off into the bushes. It seemed a perfect spot for the two lovers who were traveling together tonight to enjoy a private moment in the moonlight, perhaps share some kisses and a long embrace. And under other circumstances, that's precisely what they might have done.
But they were not alone, and they had not come here for romance.
Below them along the bank of the Zora River were three Lizalfos, two black and the other one blue. The blue one served as a lookout, and it peered back and forth from its perch atop a raft held aloft by four Sky Octoroks. Link had signaled to Mipha he would take care of that one first. He drew his bow and aimed carefully. Then sent three ice arrows its way and the creature was quietly destroyed.
No alert had sounded, and the other two Lizalfos hadn't noticed a thing. One Black Lizalfos was actually a bit further downstream by a campsite with a lit cooking pot. Link had signaled he would deal with that one as well. The other Black Lizalfos was being clever. It camouflaged itself against the green grass near the riverbank, now and then arising to look around, licking its face as it did so. Mipha had indicated by pointing she would deal with that one.
Mipha crept silently down and forward whenever the Lizalfos ahead of her rested, then stopped and crouched in the underbrush whenever it rose to look about. Slowly she made her way closer and closer until the monster was within spear reach. Then she struck it with all her strength using a Sneakstrike, killing it instantly.
Meanwhile, Link had crept within range of the Lizalfos near the cooking fire. Again, he took careful aim with his bow and hit it with an ice arrow, freezing it in place. Then he jumped down, and with a few strikes of the sword that sealed the darkness, the Lizalfos was destroyed. He and Mipha then regrouped at the foot of the Inogo Bridge.
Three more Lizalfos remained to be dealt with. One was a blue one swimming back and forth in the water where the river widened just northeast of the bridge. Another was busy searching for food near some rocks past the far end of the bridge. And a third was high up floating on another Sky Octorok held platform.
Mipha pointed to the water and then herself, indicating she would deal with the one in the water. She made her way silently to the water's edge and slipped in without a splash, unnoticed. Water was her natural element, and she was the Zora Champion. The Lizalfos would not stand a chance against her in water.
Meanwhile, Link crept quietly across the bridge toward the other one on the ground. However, as bad luck would have it, the Lizalfos turned in his direction, noticed him, and prepared to give fight. The Lizalfos first spat at him, then did its battle maneuver, hopping back and forth, preparing to strike. But Link had seen this dance many times in his travels and was not afraid. He waited for the right moment and then struck three times with his sword, the mighty sword that seals the darkness. The Lizalfos was destroyed, and a moment later Mipha came ashore giving him a thumbs up. The Lizalfos on the platform was firing arrows their way, but its aim was poor. Link's wasn't. He dispatched that one with three well placed Ice Arrows as well.
"Let's go home, sweetheart," said Mipha. "We've done enough for one night. Come, I'll pull you through the water."
Starting the second day after their wedding, Link had been eager to do his part for his new home. And after discussion with Mipha, he soon settled on something: ridding the area of monsters.
He had always hated monsters, of course, and after the sword that seals the darkness chose him, he trained hard to excel at destroying them. He would attack monsters at random or on sight, even taking on whole encampments at once. He became as someone looking for a fight. But he came to learn that wasn't good enough.
The sword he carried was something exceptional and a gift from the Goddess. It was designed to destroy the ultimate evil, but it needed its bearer to be worthy, to be Hylia's chosen one and act as her emissary. And so the sword had transformed him during the time he wielded it. It had somehow helped him grow to have a deep love of Hyrule and its people. And after that, his fights became more purposeful. He fought to protect people not to kill at random. It was a subtle distinction perhaps, but he found that he fought out of love of those he saved not hate of those he destroyed. He imagined that was the work of Hylia, that her love of her people and her land must somehow flow through the sword and eventually into the heart of those chosen by it.
So, destroying monsters to protect people was something that needed doing and something he was quite skilled at. Mipha was no slouch at that either, but she had a weakness to electricity. So, Link's help was especially useful for dealing with the Lizalfos firing Electric Arrows that infested the area near the domain. Once Ganon was destroyed, Blood Moons no longer revived dead monsters, and this heartened everyone and added to the enthusiasm for ridding Hyrule of them wherever they could be found. And that's what Link and Mipha had been doing every night.
By the time they reached home, it was quite late, and after Link undressed they collapsed into the slumber pool in their room, falling asleep almost at once.
It was mid-morning before Mipha awoke and looked at Link sleeping next to her.
Should she wake him, she wondered?
He looked so peaceful resting there, his soft blond hair floating gently on the water. She loved him so very, very much! He had been her heart's desire, and she was living her dream now. And from what she could tell, so was he. But speaking of a dream, yes, she thought he had slept long enough. She needed a kiss now.
"Wake up, sweetheart," said Mipha as she gently brushed back his hair and smiled at him.
Link opened his eyes, then turned in the water to face her and smiled back.
"Do Hylians always sleep so much?" said Mipha.
She tilted her head slightly, and he knew she wanted a kiss. He was such a quick learner, this new husband of hers! And the kiss was a nice long one, full of emotion, an excellent start to the day.
"You should be happy I'm able to sleep at all," said Link after their kiss ended. "I'm still getting used to sleeping in the water."
"Still getting used to it?" said Mipha. "You slept like a clam."
Link had agreed to sleep in the slumber pool in their bedroom, and it was not as difficult as he first thought. The water was a comfortable temperature and soothing to rest in. He floated effortlessly, and the sound of the waterfall outside their house was quite relaxing.
It was a week now after their wedding, and what a fantastic week it had been! Father had agreed to let them have this week to themselves, not burden them with any responsibilities yet. But Link felt they should use this time to make the domain area safer for everyone, and that had been their goal.
Link had been feeling both happy and content since their wedding. He had a pleasant sense of mission accomplished for Hyrule, content that he had fulfilled the heavy duty placed upon him by the Goddess and her sword. And he was married now to the person of his dreams, a person he had been in love with for some time but always thought beyond his reach. So, he had every reason to be as happy as anyone could dare hope for.
When they weren't busy destroying monsters, they had spent this week becoming acquainted with each other as husband and wife, and getting Link reacquainted with the domain Mipha knew so well. The domain would be his home now, and Mipha wanted him to know it and love it as much as she did. They had gone everywhere Mipha could think of, including places they had never visited together before.
But to say Link had grown intimately familiar with Zora's Domain this past week was not entirely accurate. He had grown intimately familiar with Mipha this past week while visiting all over Zora's Domain.
They had spent each night destroying monsters, using that precious time to move in stealth and gain the upper hand. And so they returned home each night late and exhausted, falling asleep at once. But they were newlyweds with a physical longing for each other that only increased with the time spent together. And so they had only daytime to be together as a married couple.
Therefore it was no surprise there was hardly a single location that afforded a measure of privacy they hadn't eventually rushed into each other's arms and made love. The bed on East Reservoir Lake had been quite comfortable. Ploymus Mountain had been private enough. Then there was Ralis Pond, Ruto Mountain, Lulu Lake, Toto Lake, Upland Zorana, the Zodobon Highlands. The list went on and on, and he hadn't even tried to keep count. It was no wonder he slept like a clam when he could. He could probably have slept in lava if it were possible.
"Father wants to meet with us," said Mipha. "So, you will have to control your amorous impulses."
Mipha had such a cute way of expressing things sometimes, perhaps in keeping with her refined upbringing as a princess. But he could never really tell with her. Many times he felt she was teasing him in how she said things, that there was a twinkle in her eye and she was seeing if he was smart enough to catch on. She was so much fun to be with in so many ways. Thank Hylia they were together now.
"My amorous impulses?" said Link. "Do you have any idea what you do? I'm not complaining, but you can be incredibly seductive, and I cannot believe you don't know that. I get your drift, however."
"You mean you share my wave, sweetheart," said Mipha. "You're going to have to learn some Zora expressions. You need to understand them if you're going to speak to people here. I assume you are going to speak now, not sit silently as you used to?"
"Yes, I do plan to speak," laughed Link. "I guess I was pretty bad company back then, wasn't I?"
"A frog was more articulate," said Mipha. "But I understand why you were that way, and I was already in love with you, so it didn't matter in the end."
He leaned over, and they kissed again.
"I'll catch some fish, and you can get the pot ready," said Mipha as she prepared to leave. "You still eat fish cooked, right?"
"I don't think I'll ever get to the point I can eat them raw," said Link.
"A pity," said Mipha. "You don't know what you're missing."
She left and returned a few minutes later with two Hyrule Bass from the nearby falls. After Link cooked his fish, they sat down to eat.
"Any idea what Father wants to see us about?" said Link.
"I think he wants to start discussing what else you can do," said Mipha. "I know we want to eliminate any remaining Lizalfos that infest the area near Tabahl Woods. We can think about doing that tonight. In general, we want to eliminate all the monsters here and make the area around the domain entirely safe. I'm sure you and I can continue to play a major role in helping with that."
"I look forward to it," said Link. "But I do not want to live through another Naboris. If we are dealing with electric weapon enemies, I can handle them on my own. I would prefer you to stay safe here."
"I'll be careful," said Mipha. "I think Father would also like you to be our ambassador to the Hyrule central government. I understand you are on excellent terms with the future Queen of Hyrule, and will surely be very welcome there."
"I wouldn't mind doing that either," laughed Link. "I would love a chance to see Zelda again from time to time."
"I'm sure the feeling is mutual, sweetheart," said Mipha. "And I am also sure Her Majesty will have things she needs you to do for her as well. If you finish your burnt fish, we will have time for a short walk before our meeting."
Link took the last few bites of fish and was ready to go. He had developed a fondness for fish in the short time he was living here. Of course, culinary skills were hardly his strong suit. He had learned quite a few recipes over time to survive in the wild. But he had learned most of them by trial and error, and a good many of his innovative dishes had been complete disasters. He still recalled the time a wild fox sniffed one he had left unattended, then turned away in apparent disgust. Sticking to fresh fish was a healthy diet and easily obtained here.
"Come, take my hand and act like you're my husband," teased Mipha as they left the house and headed down the path toward the inner structure of the domain.
"Are you sure that won't encourage my amorous impulses as you put it?" laughed Link.
"Please behave yourself," said Mipha. "I am a respected member of the royal family here and must act with dignity. But save the thought for later."
Link laughed and took her hand. She intertwined her fingers with his and gave his hand a gentle squeeze. She had such soft, smooth skin, and he loved touching any part of her. Well, almost. Her nails were like razors and must make holding onto fish quite easy. She also used them on him but in a gentler way. He recalled the times they made love, and she gently drew the points of her nails across his back. It was highly erotic. And the one time she had been a little too passionate, it was a nice bonus she could heal the resulting scratches. He began to wonder …
"You seem lost in thought, sweetheart," said Mipha tugging at his hand and smiling at him.
"Sorry," said Link. "Holding hands provoked some amorous thoughts. You know, being able to spend evenings together someday like a normal married couple is another big incentive to eliminate all the monsters here."
As they crossed the eastern bridge, a guard acknowledged them with a small bow, and they both wished her good morning.
When they reached the plaza, it was busy with shoppers and small children running about playing, and sometimes splashing each other in the central fountain. The domain was a happy place, and it showed. As they passed by the blacksmith shop, Mipha saw Dento at his workbench and stopped to say hello.
"Good morning, Dento," said Mipha.
"Good morning Lady Mipha, Link," said Dento rising.
"I have been giving your gift a good deal of use lately," said Mipha. "It is a very worthy weapon and has never failed me."
"I am very pleased to hear that Lady Mipha," said Dento. "But you should let me examine it. I can make sure it is in perfect condition for you and would be honored to do so. I can ask one of the guards to retrieve it from your home if you wish. And I can make sure it is ready by this afternoon."
"Thank you, Dento, I would be very grateful if you did," said Mipha.
"As you wish Lady Mipha," said Dento. "I want to say again how happy I am for you, for both of you. The time has gone by so fast though! I still recall presenting that trident to your parents, and I felt so honored they would accept it. You were their pride and joy, Lady Mipha, and I have never seen two people so happy as they were with you. But forgive me, I am rambling and recalling things to make you sad."
"Not at all, Dento," said Mipha. "I am always happy to hear about my family. Good day to you."
"Good day to you both," said Dento.
Mipha and Link left the shop and resumed their walk.
"In case you couldn't guess, Dento made my trident as a gift when I was born," said Mipha. "It is very well made, light yet sturdy. It made learning combat much easier."
They made their way upstairs to the slumber pool level and bowed before the statue of Hylia there to say a silent prayer. Link took special care to pray each day. He had so much in life to be grateful for, and he could never thank the Goddess enough. And he prayed as well for the well being of others, especially Mipha and her family and Zelda. Then it was time to meet with King Dorephan.
The guard at the stairway acknowledged them and said they could proceed. King Dorephan was not busy.
"Good morning my favorite newlyweds," exclaimed King Dorephan upon seeing them. "I hope you are both well. I must commend you both on the zeal you have shown eliminating the threats to our domain. But I feel terrible for you. That is not how I hoped you would begin married life together."
"We are happy to help, Father," said Mipha. "We cannot rest until our domain is completely safe for all, including visitors who must journey here through danger now. When all is safe, we will take more time to enjoy our marriage. Though we have enjoyed it whenever the opportunity arose."
"I am certainly happy to hear that!" said King Dorephan. "This is a special time in your life before you have a family of your own. But there I go, speaking out of turn about none of my business. I asked you both here to discuss how Link can help, aside from all you are doing together."
"I am happy to do anything I can," said Link. "I feel honored to be part of your family and a member of your kingdom."
"And I feel no less honored to have you as a member," said King Dorephan. "Our people have always had close ties with the Hylians and Zelda needs our help more than ever now. If you are willing, Link, I would like you to be our ambassador to the kingdom of Hyrule. You could ensure we are working well together, and I know you are on excellent terms with Zelda herself. It would mean coordinating activities and such, not work as glamorous as saving Hyrule. Are you willing to do that?"
"Of course, Father," said Link. 'I will do whatever you wish."
"Excellent!" said King Dorephan. "Then I will let Zelda know. Is there anything else you would like to discuss now?"
"Only to repeat my thanks for all you have done to make life here so enjoyable," said Link. "Each day I am here in your beautiful domain I grow to love it more."
"I am glad to hear it, as, I am sure, is my dear daughter," said King Dorephan. "You two had so many visits together here growing up that I am not surprised it feels a bit like home to you, Link."
"Father, when he has time, perhaps Link could also help train some of our guards in combat?" said Mipha.
"Of course," said King Dorephan. "I thought about that myself but hesitated to commit your husband to too much work. You do want some time for yourselves I hope."
"I don't mind at all," said Link. "We will find time for ourselves. And it will certainly help me stay in shape and fit enough to wear this beautiful armor your daughter made."
"Well, then, that's settled," said King Dorephan. "Enjoy the rest of your day. And do make some time for yourselves."
Mipha and Link left and discussed their plans for tonight. The Tabahl Woods area seemed a good choice. As usual, they would attack after sunset.
"What now?" said Link.
"Well, we can't go home because Dento is having my trident picked up and returned," said Mipha taking his hand. "Let's head to Ploymus Mountain. There's a nice view from there."
"Yes, we can sit there and discuss strategy for tonight," said Link.
"Yes, we might have time to do that, too," said Mipha.