Love In Zora's Domain

by andremoi

This story about Link's and Mipha's married life together is a direct sequel to the story titled 'A Tale of Two Princesses'. In an AU, on the day of the Great Calamity, Mipha put her love for Link and concern for Zelda ahead of Daruk's plan to rush to her Divine Beast. Art is by Nurple(twitter dot com/nurpleynurple)

35. Unhealthy Exercise

Chapter 35 - Unhealthy Exercise

Summary: Link spends a morning with Kodah, which does not go well afterward. Purah and Robbie begin to update Zelda on their research.

It was morning a week later in Zora's Domain, and Raypha and Tidon were about to depart for their daily tutoring sessions.

"You both look like you're enjoying class," said Link.

"The instructors are patient, ensuring we understand everything," said Raypha. "They make learning interesting."

"And it's a nice change from taking lessons from our parents," said Tidon.

"Not that we didn't enjoy that, too, of course," Raypha added quickly, smirking at Tidon.

"Oh, yes, that's right," said Tidon.

"Whatever!" laughed Mipha. "You two had better be off, or you'll be back to taking lessons from your boring parents."

After hugs and kisses all around, Mipha and Link found themselves alone at home. After a moment of silence, Link spoke up.

"I know it's been a week already, but it still hasn't sunk in with me that our children are so grown up they're taking outside classes," Link said with a sigh. "The house feels so empty without them."

"It's good for them, sweetheart," replied Mipha. "But do you remember when we first married? Did the house feel empty to you then?"

"No, it felt perfect with you here."

"And now, with the children gone, we have more time together again," said Mipha. "But unfortunately, not right now—I have a council meeting to attend."

"Oh, right, I forgot."

"Maybe you should step out and enjoy some fresh air and exercise rather than mope about at home, worrying about how quickly our children are growing up," Mipha gently suggested. "I won't be gone too long, and we can meet for lunch after my meeting. What do you say?"

"Yes, great idea. A little exercise should help me work up an appetite."

Mipha chuckled. "Work up an appetite? I won't say a word. As you Hylians say, I'm biting my tongue."

"Don't Zoras say that too?"

"No, and the expression would never cross our mind," laughed Mipha. "Not with the sharp teeth we have, dearest."

"Don't I know it! I nearly cut my tongue in half when I lost myself passionately kissing you."

"Oh, it wasn't that bad - just a small scratch. And I healed it almost at once."

"Yes, after you managed to stop laughing."

"Aww, poor dear," said Mipha as she caressed his cheek. "But I notice it hasn't stopped you from kissing me the same way."

"Yes, well, the reward is definitely worth the risk," said Link.

"That was sweet," teased Mipha as she embraced him and ran her hands along his back. "Though it does sound a bit calculating. Do you always weigh the pros and cons of our lovemaking?"

"Mmm, that feels so good," moaned Link as they kissed several times, and he pulled her closer.

"What did you ask me?" Link groaned after their kisses ended. "And do you really have to go? I'm burning up."

"Sorry, sweetheart, I do. I shouldn't have started something we couldn't finish. But we have the house to ourselves after my meeting, so until then … think of me. And go get some exercise."

"Trust me, I'll do both, sweetheart," said Link. "You're always in my thoughts. Love you."

"Love you, too."

They shared two more kisses as Link held her hands before Mipha headed off to her meeting.

Link tidied up the house from breakfast, put on his Zora Armor, and then ventured outside. It was sunny with a gentle breeze that blew over the lake and rustled the nearby evergreen trees.

He couldn't help but glance toward East Reservoir Lake, where the tip of Ruta's raised trunk could be seen peeking over the wall behind the northwest pier. And that reminded him of the time he found Mipha's diary hidden there, and she let him read the part where she fell in love with him. He was so lucky they were together now and with a beautiful family, too. She was so beautiful and desirable. He was living his dream.

"I suppose a brisk walk would do me some good in more ways than one," Link chuckled as he strolled across the east path toward the domain proper, saying hello to the guard on duty. Upon reaching the slumber pool level, he paused to pray at Hylia's statue for his family, Zelda, and the departed Champions. Then he turned around and walked to the edge, looking south across the plaza below.

People in the plaza were shopping and chatting as usual. Small children were running around and splashing each other in the water that seemed to flow everywhere. Then, his gaze turned toward the Great Zora Bridge. He had fond memories of crossing that bridge and the excitement that welled up in him back then. That was because it signaled the end of his journey - and the start of time he could spend with Mipha. So, perhaps he should hike that way over Ruto Lake and then up Ruto Mountain.

Another option was to head east and climb Ploymus Mountain. The view from there was magnificent, and you could see Ruta in the lake far below from Shatterback Point. But he preferred visiting Ploymus Mountain with Mipha, not by himself. So, perhaps an alternative was to hike over to Upland Zorana instead. That would be good exercise and also reward him with some impressive views of Hyrule. And if he found an attractive piece of Luminous Stone, he could give it to Mipha as a memento. When he was young, Mipha and he enjoyed collecting Luminous Stones on occasion, bringing them back to the domain to see them glow when it grew dark. As he stood there undecided, he suddenly heard a familiar voice from behind.

"Hey, Linny!"

Link turned around.

"Kodah! You surprised me. How are you?"

"I'm doing swimmingly! And you? Are you taking a break from family life?"

"I'm doing fine. Mipha's busy at a council meeting, and the children are in class. So, I'm on my own until I meet Mipha for lunch."

"Great! Then we can do some catching up. We haven't spoken since Alicia's party and did not have time to talk there."

"Um, I was about to do some hiking and was thinking about heading to Upland Zorana," said Link. "Mipha's been encouraging me to exercise and stay in shape. So, maybe we can catch up some other time?"

"Mipha is so right that exercise is very important!" agreed Kodah with enthusiasm. "But you know they say swimming is an even better exercise than hiking for Hylians. It's more of a whole-body workout. I see you're wearing Mipha's exquisite wedding present. I have time to ensure you get a good workout, and you won't be alone if you suffer a cramp in the water. We can swim up the waterfalls south of Toto Lake and head over to Upland Zorana from there. That way, you will get in some strenuous swimming and hiking exercise, too. Come on, Linny."

"Um, well, I guess that makes sense. And you're right, it's safer to be with someone when swimming, and Mipha always encourages me not to be reckless. Okay, sure, let's go."

They walked to one of the spillovers and dove down to the domain's lower level.

"Nice form," said Kodah. "You dive very well now."

"Thanks! I get plenty of practice with my family," laughed Link.

A brief swim north brought them to the edge of the lower level, after which they dove into the water surrounding the domain and toward the falls south of Toto Lake. The swim toward the waterfall was quite strenuous for Link as he had to fight the opposing current. Link gritted his teeth and pushed himself to keep going while Kodah kept herself nearby. Link took a deep breath when they reached the waterfall and plunged forward and upward, Kodah pacing herself to stay with him.

"Just need a moment. The opposing current took a lot of effort," said Link between deep breaths after completing the waterfall and as he pulled himself onto a rock outcropping that jutted into the water.

"That's fine, take your time," said Kodah, who remained floating in the water. "See what I mean about a good workout? I'm sure Mipha will be thrilled and thank me for looking after you."

"I hope that's what she'll do," said Link after taking another few breaths. "Okay, I'm ready for the next waterfall."

He pushed off the rock and dove back into the water, propelling himself towards the next obstacle they needed to conquer: a tall waterfall cascading down just south of Toto Lake. The swim to the falls was shorter, though still against the current. But the second waterfall was much taller than the first, and it took all of Link's strength to reach the top. He clambered onto land and bent over, gasping for breath as each gasp seemed to take longer than the last.

"I need to take a break after that," panted Link as he slowly started to catch his breath again. "Maybe Mipha's right, and I am getting out of shape."

"And this exercise will help correct that," replied Kodah reassuringly. "But take your time. We're in no hurry."

After several painstaking minutes of taking deep breaths, Link finally spoke up.

"Okay," he said determinedly, "I feel better now."

"Great! We can start hiking now," suggested Kodah, who was completely unfazed by their strenuous swim. "See, that was a nice shortcut to Upland Zorana and a good workout. But you're still breathing hard."

"Yes, but I'll be fine in a moment," said Link.

Walking together between small hills, they passed a cluster of Luminous Stones.

"When I was young, I used to come here with Mipha to collect Luminous Stones," said Link, who had recovered his composure enough to hold a conversation.

"After dark?"

"No, no, only during the day," said Link. "We brought them back with us to watch them glow later. Let me chip off a piece for Mipha."

Link struck the stone and selected a small, attractive-looking piece, then put it away.

"By the way, anything new with you, Kodah?"

"Yes. I've been happily dating a person named Kayden," said Kodah.

"Nice!" said Link. "What does he do?"

"Right now, he catches fish or gathers supplies for the general store. But he hopes to save up enough one day to purchase the inn. The current innkeeper will be looking to retire in a few years. If Kayden and I become a couple, we could pool our funds, giving us enough to go into business together."

"Well, good luck," said Link. "Running the inn would be interesting. You would get to meet a lot of visitors to the domain and learn about parts of Hyrule they come from that way."

"Yes, I'm sure I would enjoy that," said Kodah as they walked together. "I've always been on the outgoing, sociable side."

"Yes, I admired that in you," said Link. "You kind of drew me out of my shell sometimes."

"A very appropriate expression," Kodah laughed. "You're talking more and more like a Zora."

"Are you surprised, given my family?" laughed Link.

"Speaking of which, are your children both well?"

"Yes, both are fine," said Link. "But they're growing up too fast."

"That's funny coming from a Hylian," said Kodah. "But I guess we shouldn't go there, should we?"

"Um, no," said Link. "That's rather a touchy subject."

"Anyway, I'm happy things have turned out so well for you, Linny," said Kodah. "But I want to ask you. Did you really enjoy the dance parties we went to? It seemed like my company was almost a last resort when you visited the domain."

"No, don't feel that way, Kodah," said Link. "I enjoyed the time we spent together. I also learned how to dance with you. Until I married Mipha, I danced more with you than anyone else. So, I'm glad you took me to parties. I had fun, and they're happy memories for me."

"That makes me feel better," said Kodah. "Knowing how you felt was always a mystery. Even Mipha asked me if I could help her read your feelings, and I had to say I honestly couldn't."

"It may be hard to believe, but I hid my feelings out of a combination of shyness and insecurity," said Link. "Anyway, we should climb one of these hills. There's a nice view of Death Mountain and the Lanayru Sea, among other things."

They climbed a nearby hill, and the view was indeed magnificent. Death Mountain glowed a fiery red to the northwest, and a double rainbow arched across the sky over Cephla Lake. You could make out the silhouette of Vah Naboris atop Spectacle Rock to the southwest and snowy Mount Lanayru to the southeast.

"This is a fantastic view," said Kodah.

"Yes, let's enjoy it while the rainbow lasts," said Link. "And I build up my strength for the return trip."

"That should be much easier," laughed Kodah. "Going down waterfalls is simple, and you will be swimming with the current this time. No problem at all."

They watched the sun rise higher in the sky, and the rainbows slowly fade.

"Okay, we should probably get back," said Link. "I promised to meet Mipha for lunch."

They began making their way back toward the domain the way they came.

Meanwhile, Mipha's council meeting ended, and its attendees were all leaving.

"That was a productive meeting, Father," said Mipha. "I'm glad you kept the flow of the discussion on target."

"Yes, I took your advice to heart about the meetings going too long and not sticking to the point," said King Dorephan. "Are you going now?"

"Yes, Link is alone and was kind of moody this morning over the children growing up," said Mipha. "I don't want him to worry about things like that. He's supposed to be out getting some exercise and then meet me for lunch."

"Then enjoy your time together," said King Dorephan. "And by the way - Link is right: children do grow up too fast. The proof is standing right before me."

Mipha smiled as she and King Dorephan hugged, and then Mipha made her way down from the throne room to the slumber pool level. Thinking Link might have passed by here on his way to his exercise, she stopped by one of the guards at the foot of the stairs.

"Hello, Loydon," said Mipha. "By any chance, did you see my husband pass by and notice which way he went?"

"Yes, Lady Mipha," said Loydon. "I overheard him speaking with Miss Kodah about his plans, possibly visiting Upland Zorana."

"Kodah? Oh. Do you know if Kodah is around? I can ask her about his plans."

"I believe they intended to journey to Upland Zorana together, Lady Mipha," said Loydon. "I saw them dive down to the lower level."

"Together?" said Mipha. "I see. Thank you, Loydon."

What was Kodah up to, Mipha wondered. This was bringing back bad memories, and it triggered a flashback.

It was early evening, and she and her best friend Alicia had been hanging out together most of the afternoon, swimming in East Reservoir Lake.

"Look, there's that cute guard you have a crush on," whispered Mipha with a nod toward one of the guards on duty. "Should we go speak to him? Or maybe you should by yourself."

"Definitely not, Miph!" said Alicia. "I'd blush so hard he couldn't help but notice. Besides, I think he already has a girlfriend. I noticed him being pretty cozy with one of the female guards the other day."

"Oh, sorry, Ali," said Mipha as they made their way along the path back to the domain. "But you don't sound too brokenhearted."

"It's fine."

Suddenly, Alicia tugged at Mipha's arm. "Isn't that Link, the Hylian boy you have a crush on, heading for Ruto Lake?

"Link? Where?" Mipha exclaimed excitedly.

"There with Kodah," Alicia said, pointing. "Myra is having a party tonight at Ruto Lake, and they must be going together. My strict parents wouldn't let me go, and I guess your father wouldn't let you go either."

"What?" said Mipha, clearly distracted. "Oh, no. I don't usually even get invited anymore because people know I can't attend. I need to help my father with Sidon in the evening, and even after Sidon's asleep, he worries about me being out after dark."

"You okay, Mi?"

"No, Ali, I'm not," said Mipha as tears welled up in her eyes. "She gets to dance with him while I stay home! It's just not fair!"

Alicia reached out and wrapped her arms around her in comfort.

"Try not to feel sad," said Alicia. "We know Link always asks to see you first every time he visits. That means you're first in his thoughts, Miph. I guess because you weren't available, Kodah invited him to the party. But I'm sure it's just a harmless way for him to spend the evening. I bet he looks for you first thing tomorrow morning."

"I hope so," said Mipha, who wiped her eyes. "But I need to get back now. Goodnight, Ali."

"Goodnight, Miph, and don't worry. I'm sure things will work out for you and Link."

Mipha's thoughts returned to the present, and then she decided to head home. The last thing she wanted was to run into them - to see Link and Kodah together again.

Not long afterward, Link arrived home to find Mipha sitting at the table.

"Oh! Hi, sweetheart. Did your meeting end early?"

"Sit down. How was your exercise? Did you enjoy it? Did you find it… exciting?"

"More strenuous than exciting," said Link as he sat across from her. "I ran into Kodah, and she convinced me that swimming was a better exercise than hiking. She offered to stay with me in case I developed a cramp. Are you okay?"

"Does it look like I'm okay? So, your way of thinking about me while I'm gone is to go swimming with your girlfriend?"

"Oh! No, it's not like that at all. There was nothing romantic about it. In fact, Kodah said she's dating someone named Kayden."

"Nothing romantic, but you two were talking about her love life?" Mipha shot back in disbelief, her eyes widening with each of her words.

"I can see you're upset, and I'm sorry."

"Upset? I'm both upset and hurt. I want you to tell me everything that happened from the moment you left the house. Don't leave anything out."

"Okay, fine," said Link, who proceeded to describe the day's events.

"I admit I'm a stupid jerk and didn't think about how my going with her would bother you," said Link after he finished. "If I had, I never would have gone. I'm so sorry, sweetheart, but you have to believe me. I love you with all my heart and only you. Oh, I almost forgot. I brought you back a Luminous Stone."

Mipha was quiet for a moment as Link put the stone on the table, then reached out, and Link took both her hands in his.

"I believe you didn't realize how jealous I am about you and Kodah being together, though I thought I made it clear at Alicia's party. Still, you owe me big time for doing this to me," said Mipha.

"Whatever you say, sweetheart," said Link. "I'm so sorry, and I love you."

"I love you, too," said Mipha as she rose and pulled him toward their bedroom. "Now, it's time for you to make up for it. And you better not be too tired from swimming!"

"Trust me, I won't be," said Link as he kissed her. "Just don't bite my tongue."

Meanwhile, it was a sunny late morning at the Royal Ancient Tech Lab as Purah and Robbie readied themselves for their regularly scheduled audience with Queen Zelda. As Purah diligently sorted through her notes, she couldn't help but voice her concern.

"I wonder why Her Majesty has opted to forgo her usual visit to our lab today and insist we meet at the castle instead?"

Robbie raised an eyebrow, "Isn't it glaringly obvious, Dr. Purah? For someone of your extraordinary intellect, you do have a few remarkable blind spots."

Purah looked up, puzzled. "What do you mean?"

Robbie motioned around the lab with a wave of his arm.

"It's your menagerie of bugs, some of which have an annoying habit of escaping. And let's not forget the recent addition of lizards. Our lab isn't exactly the ideal place for a royal visit, especially not before lunch."

"Oh, is that all it is?" Purah replied with a hint of relief. "I thought perhaps Her Majesty might be disheartened by the gradual pace of our research."

"On the contrary, I think she's grateful you're being methodical, which is to say less reckless than usual. And as for my work, it's not sluggish; it's simply painstaking, owing to its difficulty. Are you ready yet? And please try not to forget your notes."

"Yes, I'm ready. Um … would you mind leading the way? I'll make sure the door is securely latched behind us. One of the butterflies managed to slip out of its enclosure this morning."

"Perhaps one of your lizard specimens will also get loose and catch it," Robbie replied, shaking his head before departing.

"Not likely," said Purah, as she glanced around the lab before quickly closing the door behind her.

A gentle breeze played with the leaves overhead as they journeyed along a woodland path toward Moat Bridge. Crossing the clear water, they witnessed a Hyrule Bass leaping gracefully in pursuit of a low-flying insect. They continued their journey, passing by the First Gatehouse and then onward to the castle when a pair of guards nodded in greeting.

"We were told to expect you," said one of the guards. "Her Majesty will meet you on the first level in the private dining room. Do you know where that is?"

"Yes, thanks," said Robbie with a nod as he and Purah proceeded into the castle.

"With luck, we'll be invited to stay for lunch," whispered Robbie as they walked along the corridor.

Zelda was already there when they arrived, and after everyone was seated, she spoke up.

"I thought meeting here and having lunch would be more … pleasant. So, tell me what's new," said Zelda.

"I'm moving on from insects to lizards in my anti-aging research," said Purah. "I have the details of my findings, growth rates by mass and age, in case we want to delve further into it."

"I'm not sure I would follow all the details, but I'm encouraged you're still making progress," said Zelda. "What about you, Robbie?"

"The documents I've been able to translate so far are more historical than purely scientific. They detail the Sheikah discovery of an extinct civilization that had mastered various advanced technology. Hopefully, studying the documents further will give us some clues on how to get access to this technology ourselves. I hope you're not disappointed in my progress."

"No, no, not at all," Zelda assured them. "I know how challenging it must be. And I've been a bit preoccupied with my social life of late. Ah, here's lunch."

Some castle staff arrived with meals for each of them and then quietly stepped back out again.

"Maybe you can tell me more over lunch about what you discovered in your research, Robbie," suggested Zelda. "I'm also quite partial to history."

"With pleasure, Your Majesty," said Robbie, rubbing his hands after giving Purah a look.