"I can't believe we spent three hours at the beach. We even ended up exploring the other beaches around the cape…" Zelda sighed, carrying her boots as the three walked barefoot along the sandy coast. "It's already almost evening. I'm sure the sun is going to go down soon."
"I–I'm sorry, Princess," Paya called over the waves of the shore from behind as she carried her sandals. "W–we wouldn't have stayed as long had I g–gotten in the water faster…"
"Oh! Please, don't blame yourself, Paya," Zelda quickly said with a glance back at her. "Trust me, the blame only falls to one individual."
With a glare, Zelda looked back at the other woman walking behind her, who was carrying her own thigh-high boots. In return, Celessa gave her a carefree grin.
"Oh, don't act all displeased, Your Highness," she said airily. "You had a good time. You looked astonished to find a bull when we made it here at Rimba Beach. You even got a few pictures of it on your slate thing, so stop acting all haughty and show off that smile of yours."
"Oh, you! That bull put Paya in shock! And then you went and scared it off—" Zelda began, but unfortunately, a laugh escaped from her lips. Catching Celessa's glance as she contained herself she faced forward. "Fine… It was quite an enjoyable time and— dare I say— worth it. Are you happy?"
"Extremely," she heard Celessa say happily.
With another chuckle, Zelda shook her head before looking out into the ocean as she continued to walk down the shoreline. Though she had been there for hours already, the ocean was still a sight to see. The waves in the distance continued to sparkle while the sky above was just starting to change colors as an extremely pale orange began to overcome the day's usual blue. It was beautiful, though she couldn't help but feel just a bit lonely, even with the two friends behind her.
She wished her lover was there beside her, to play in the sea and sand with them. The only thing that could have made the experience better was if Link were there, but even with this loneliness, Zelda took a calming deep breath of the salty ocean air. This was motivation— something she could add to her goal. She would get everything ready so that she and Link could stand in front of the sea together.
"Hey, there it is!" Celessa suddenly called from behind.
Snapping out of her thoughts, Zelda turned away from the sea and looked out at the shoreline. There, sitting in a small gulf, was the sight of a small, simple village.
"It's really not that large at all, is it?" Zelda asked out loud.
"Nope, but it's got a lot of open air," Celessa said, catching up in order to walk by Zelda's side. "Come on! I know it's almost evening, but that's definitely enough time for us to go meet the people there!"
"Wai— Celessa! Must we run everywhere?" Zelda called as Celessa began dashing off through the sand.
Of course, just as she expected, Celessa continued running off, allowing her bare soles to kick sand up as she did. Unable to contain herself again, Zelda giggled before jogging after her.
"Hu–huh? W– wait up!" Paya stammered out before quickly following after the two Hylians, having not expected Zelda to start running with her pilgrim friend. The closer they got, the more shocked Paya became at the sight.
The village was surrounded by mountains and waterfalls, as if sectioning themselves and their beach off from the rest of the land, while the gulf had given them their own little sea to live by. The further into the gulf they walked, the more populated the palm trees had become, with leaves so vibrant they almost seemed to be reflecting sunlight off their thin, elongated leaves. From the sandy beaches, there were wooden docks that stretched out into the waters, where a few small boats were left bobbing next to them, one of which was a larger one with decorative banners and goods to sell. The biggest of the boats though, wasn't the shop-like one in the waters, but two huge ones sitting on land. Upon closer inspection, it became clear it was one of the houses. The rest of the houses were much simpler, though still beautiful in design. They were small, hut-like houses, with palm trees growing through their centers to give them support. Finally, as if to top off the beautiful aesthetic, lanterns and torches were placed all around, dotting the beach with their orange glow.
"It's beautiful," Zelda said in awe as they came to a stop under one of the village entrances. "It's like a little paradise."
"I can't believe you've actually never been here before," Celessa said. "You never stopped by here in your travels a hundred years ago?"
"Not once," Zelda answered, still staring at the coastal village. "There wasn't a lot of time for breaks, and even when there was, this place is so small, I just… never noticed it."
"Well, if you had visited before, this place would've been a blast to the past for you," Celessa said. "They say this place was completely unharmed by the Calamity due to it being so far away from everything else, along with it being hidden behind the mountains."
"Really? Incredible…" Zelda murmured.
Smiling at Zelda's reaction, Celessa looked over at Paya to see her standing in awe as well, something that made her smile brighter.
"Oi!" a sudden voice called out to them.
The three women looked to see a tall man headed toward them, waving a hand in greeting. He was a darker-skinned man, barefoot with a simple open, sleeveless jacket and shorts; a simple-looking man, but one whose clothing matched the aesthetic of the village. At the sight, Paya gasped in fear before allowing her sandals to drop to the sand in order to cover her eyes with her fingers.
"A–a man!" she mumbled almost inaudibly to herself. "A– a stranger!"
"Hello there," the man said as he stopped before them. "Sorry to walk up on you like this, but I couldn't help but notice you three were just standing under the entrance. Are you new to Lurelin? I don't recognize you."
"I've been here before, but these two haven't," Celessa answered, gesturing to the other two standing next to her.
"Pleased to meet you," Zelda said with a small, courteous bow. Though the pause in her introduction hadn't gone unnoticed by Celessa, she remained quiet and smiling. "And this here is our friend Paya."
"Oh, and I'm Celessa," the pilgrim chimed in, only now realizing she hadn't said her name.
"Celessa, Paya, and Zelda. Hm… Zelda? That name sounds familiar…" the man said thoughtfully. After a moment though, he shrugged, keeping the bright smile on his face. "Nice to meet you all, though… is she alright?"
"She's alright, I promise you," Zelda said kindly. "She's just a little anxious is all."
"Ah, a first-time traveler," the man laughed. "Many of the visitors we get are first-timers. I promise you, Paya, you have nothing to be afraid of. The name's Armes, and I'm a local fisher here in Lurelin. If the two of you are new, and you haven't been here in a while, why don't I show you around the place?"
"Really?" Zelda asked. "It would actually be great for a local to show us around, even if it's just a quick look, but are you sure it's all right? You're a fisherman, are you not? Would we be in the way of your business?"
"Not at all! I finished up a while ago," Armes answered. "You don't want to be out at sea on a raft for too long. It's hard to see at night, so I always come back before twilight. I can take you around and even introduce you to the village elder! I'm sure he'll still be out and about before my little tour is over."
"That would actually be perfect," Zelda said, but just then, Celessa lightly tapped her arm.
"That would be perfect, but do you think Paya will survive?" she asked quietly. Both looked over at Paya to see her still hiding behind her fingers, slightly shaking in the man's presence.
"I guess you're right," Zelda said, trying not to let her disappointment shine through her tone. Clearing her throat of said disappointment, she clasped her hands in front of her and slightly bowed to Armes again. "I appreciate the offer, but I believe we'll be fine on our own—"
"N– no! I–I–It's o–okay," Paya suddenly said in a muffled tone behind her hands. "I–I apologize… I–I'll adjust… S–so, um, p–please don't decline for m–my sake."
"Are you sure you'll be okay?" Zelda asked. Paya anxiously nodded. With a worried frown, the princess looked over at her pilgrim friend, who simply shrugged. Taking her silent answer, Zelda nodded before turning back to Armes. "Well, it looks like we'll be taking your offer after all. We'll be in your care."
"Great! Go ahead and follow me, then!" Armes said brightly.
With a smile, he waved for them to follow. After all of their boots had been handed to the princess to put in the Sheikah Slate, the three of them headed after the fisherman, with Zelda having to guide Paya by tugging her sleeve. While Zelda still felt a little guilty to have accepted the man's offer to give them a tour around the village at such an hour, it certainly diminished as they walked along the sandy paths through the place. It was just as small as it looked. In fact, it may have even been smaller than it looked.
While there was a ton of open space, mostly around the beaches and docks, there really weren't many buildings themselves. As it turned out, the one of large ship-like buildings turned out to be an inn, though it was one with only a few beds that all sat strangely low to the ground. The other large land ship was a type of lottery, a game run by what Zelda couldn't help but believe was a slight weasel of a man (only a slight one). The rest of the homes were simply that: homes that the few residents of Lurelin lived in. Despite this, the three couldn't help but take in the beauty of the village as they walked along, glancing at the oceans, the architecture, or even the mountains. Eventually, even Paya found the courage to put her hands down and look around.
"I know it's not much," Armes said as they walked. "We really are just a village that loves to fish, but we do take pride in our home. Sightseeing is one of the most popular reasons tourists stop by, along with the fish of course."
"Y–you actively l–like visitors?" Paya asked. "A–are you not afraid of visitors ruining things? Or causing issues? Or… Or…"
"Not at all!" Armes said without hesitation. "We love every person that comes to our village. Sure, there are always potential visitors that could be… let's say, less pleasant than others, but we'd rather not judge people like that. We're a happy place, and we want to spread that happiness to others if we can. Along with our fish if possible, of course!"
"That's… so different from my own village," Paya said quietly. "We're always so wary of those that come in, even Hylians… I love my village and my people… It'd be nice to spread the warmth I feel at home with others…"
"It's never too late to open up," Armes said cheerfully. "It only takes one person to start the change– ah, there's the elder! Oi, Rozel!"
"It only takes one…" Paya whispered to herself as Armes began waving someone down.
As she began to get lost in thought, the fisherman guided the three women onto one of the docks that hovered over the waters, where an old man stood hunched over with his arms behind his back. At the sound of his name being called, the old man turned to reveal a tired, but kind face, one that was almost covered by his shaggy silver hair and mustache.
"Ah, Armes, and…? Oh, are you three travelers?" the old man asked.
"They are," Armes said, stepping aside to show his followers. "This is Celessa, Paya, and Zelda."
"Well, hello," the man said as the three bowed in his presence. "I'm Rozel, the head of this small village. If I may ask, where are you three from?"
"Good Evening. Celessa and I are here from Hateno Village," Zelda answered with a smile as Celessa waved, "and Paya here is a Sheikah from Kakariko."
"A Sheikah! We've never had a Sheikah here in our town, at least not in recent memory," Rozel chuckled. "Welcome young Paya. And you two are from Hateno, yes? Ah, maybe you know my daughter, Ralera?"
"Ralera…?" Celessa repeated unsurely, though Zelda immediately answered.
"I do know Ralera! She's Rhodes's wife!" she said, before quietly telling Celessa, "Rhodes tends to the windmills higher up on the mountain in Hateno."
"Oh! How is she doing, if you don't mind my asking?" the village head asked.
"She's doing wonderful," Zelda replied. "I used to work at the Ton Pu Inn, and they would come in together for a couple of drinks after a hard day's work. They look extremely happy together."
"That's wonderful. I'm happy my daughter is doing well," Rozel said with a smile. "You were Zelda, yes? Hm… Zelda…"
"Doesn't that name sound familiar?" Armes suddenly spoke up. "If you feel like it is too, then maybe I'm not losing my fishing wire. I can't help but feel like I've heard that name somewhere, but I just can't hook it…"
"That's because you might've heard it when you were a boy, Armes," the village head chuckled. "Princess Zelda… the one who protected us alongside her knight a hundred years ago."
"Eh? That Zelda?" Armes said in surprise before turning to the golden-haired woman. "But, that she was from a hundred years ago, wasn't she…? Are you really–?"
"She sure is!" Celessa said, wrapping her arm around Zelda's shoulder, who smiled awkwardly.
"But… You look so young…"
"The power the princess wielded back then was a mysterious one," Rozel said before taking a hobbling step closer to Zelda. "Golden hair, green eyes, and the crest of the royal family sewn onto your clothing. You make a pretty good case for being the princess. Besides, I've heard rumors going around that the princess of old has returned."
"Y–yes, I have," Zelda answered. "Though, I know even with all you said, it must be hard to believe. But, if you don't take my word for it, I actually have someone you may be able to believe."
"I assume it's the young Sheikah," Rozel said, glancing over at a nervous-looking Paya. "The Sheikah were closely tied to the Hyrulean royal family. If anyone would know, it would be them."
"U–uh, y–yes! Yes, it–it's true!" Paya said, trying to be as professional as she could through her nerves. "I–I'm here in place of m–my grandmother, Impa of Ka–Kakariko. Please, take grandmother's word, that th–this is Princess Zelda."
"Ah, even without your words, I know this one here was telling the truth," Rozel said, staring Zelda in the eyes. "Her eyes are honest and true. I didn't doubt her for a second."
"Th–then—" Armes suddenly said loudly. "Then… You're a princess! You're the Princess Zelda!"
"Again, she sure is," Celessa said proudly.
"A pleasure to meet you both," Zelda said, still unable to rid herself of her awkwardness.
"Well, I'm sure the ancient princess of Hyrule didn't stop by for some simple sightseeing," Rozel said. "Is there something you needed from this small town?"
"Actually, there is," Zelda said. "I'm sure you've already put it together, but not only I am here, but my knight from a hundred years ago is alive as well: Link, the Hero of Hyrule."
"Wait– Link?" Armes chimed in again before looking at Rozel. "You don't think she means that Link, do you—?"
"I mean that Link," Zelda chuckled. "He gets around. He's the reason I'm able to walk the lands again actually."
"That small guy? Wow… my mind is being blown right now…" Armes said in awe. "I gave him some fish once… He liked my fish… The hero from a century past liked my fish…"
"We were actually hoping to throw a sort of… festival for him here," Zelda continued, turning her attention back to the village head. "It's to help him heal from everything he's been through by celebrating the lives of the champions from a hundred years ago, along with his victory over the Calamity— amongst a few other side goals. Celessa here said that if there was any place to throw a festival, maybe Lurelin was the best choice. I was hoping that was true."
"A festival you say? One to celebrate the champions who gave their lives…" Rozel thought out loud. "That's a wonderful idea. We were spared from the Calamity all that time ago, but that was only thanks to you and those who fought by your side. Lurelin would be more than happy to help you hold a festival in their honor."
"Really?" Zelda asked. "Oh, thank you so much. You have no idea what this means to me."
"Please, if anything, you'd be doing us a favor," Rozel said. "If you'll be bringing guests to this festival, then those guests turn into tourists for us, and we love tourists."
"That's wonderful. I'm confident I'll have quite a few guests," Zelda said happily. "Are you sure it's not too much to ask?"
"Nonsense," Rozel said. "In fact, why don't you stay a few days to straighten out the details?"
"Stay a few days?" Zelda repeated. Celessa sighed.
"She's not gonna wanna stay put for that long…" she mumbled under her breath.
"I don't think that's such a bad idea," Zelda answered, something that took Celessa aback.
"Really? That's kind of a surprise for you," the pilgrim said, something that surprised Zelda. "I thought you'd want to be on the road as quickly as possible, knowing you."
"As much as I'd like to, we need to know what we're working with here," Zelda said. "We need to plan: to get to know the village, to see who's willing to do what, and what we can do will make things a lot smoother when we go around to the other regions. It'll be easier to invite people to something we already have planned than not, wouldn't you say?"
"Hey, I'm all for staying in Lurelin for a few days," Celessa said cheerfully. "It'll be relaxing—"
"We'll be working more than relaxing, Celessa," Zelda said sternly.
"Right, right. I know," Celessa groaned. This made the elder laugh.
"Then it's settled. Why don't you three rest at the inn for the day," Rozel said. "I'll ask Chessica, the clerk of the inn, to let you stay for free the next few days while we fish out the details."
"Oh, we couldn't ask to stay for free!" Zelda insisted. "I have money. We can pay."
"It's fine," Rozel said. "With this festival of yours, she'll most certainly make the money back. In fact… now that I think about it…"
The old man stood silently for a second before speaking up once again.
"There was a Zora who came by a long time ago," he said. " He actually saved us. I believe his name was Sidon…"
"Sidon? Prince Sidon?" Zelda asked. "That's the prince of the Zora's in the Domain up north. He's been here before?"
"I believe he was the one that saved us against a mountainous Octorok long ago. Since then, we've had good fishing relations with the Zora," Rozel explained. And during these long years, I've heard of a festival the Zora hold for their fallen champion. I believe it's simply called the Champion's Festival."
"Aw, man. So the princess's idea isn't original?" Celessa asked, causing Rozel to laugh.
"I believe they only hold it for the Zora Champion," Rozel said. "Not for all of the champions. That idea is original to our princess here, but the reason I bring it up is to say it wouldn't be a bad idea to ask the Zora for advice on how they hold their festival. Maybe you can get a few ideas from them after you spend a few days here."
"That's not a bad idea at all, though…" Zelda mumbled.
She remembered the last time she and the Zora discussed her taking the throne. It hadn't ended well, and while she knew her relationship with them had changed since then, whether they—specifically, the council— felt differently about that specific topic was still up in the air. With a nervous frown, she sighed.
"I had hoped to put the Zora off for last in order to show the other regions support if things went well, but if it's smarter to head there first… Looks like I don't have much of a choice. Alright then," Zelda said. "We'll stay here for a few days and plan out what we can. Then we'll head to Zora's Domain and ask about the festival they hold and get some advice. Maybe I can even convince them of joining our new kingdom… Hopefully…"
"I'm sure you can," Rozel said. "If you'll follow me, I'll take you to the inn myself. We can discuss a few more details on the way."
"Right. Thank you," Zelda said, "and thank you for the tour, Armes."
"Anytime, Princess!" Armes said.
With that, the three followed the old man to the ship-shaped inn on the other side of the village.
...
"I'm beat," Celessa sighed, crashing down onto one of the beds.
"That's because you wanted to play around in the ocean all day," Zelda scolded as she gently sat on her bed. Realizing how high her knees were to her face, she commented, "my, these beds are quite low to the ground, aren't they?"
"Better than sleeping on the ground. I've done that," Celessa said. "Actually, they're quite cozy… I could fall asleep at any minute, but I wanted to eat before sleeping."
"I can make you something if you wish," Zelda offered. Immediately, Celessa jumped to her feet.
"Why don't I make something for you," she offered hastily. Zelda's brow furrowed suspiciously.
"I thought you said you were out of energy," she said slowly. "Where did this burst come from?"
"I… Well… You see…" Celessa stammered. "I should go buy us some fish, we are in a fishing village after all! I'll bring you two back some! Bye!"
Celessa bolted out the door, and if Zelda hadn't watched her run out herself, she would've believed she had teleported with the Sheikah Slate.
"My cooking is not that bad! I picked up a few tips from Prima, I'll have you know!" she shouted, though Celessa was already long gone. Zelda huffed. "That woman…"
"U–um, Princess," Paya suddenly spoke up from her bed. "I–if you don't mind, why don't you give me the boots you and Celessa were wearing earlier? I'll clean them of all the sand they acquired when we first arrived."
"Hm? Oh, it's fine, Paya, you don't have to clean those," Zeleda said, but seeing Paya's insistent eyes, she folded. "I mean, if you really wish to."
"It would give me something to do," Paya said softly. "I–I'm not used to having this much free time, I guess."
"I understand that feeling," Zelda said as she pulled the slate from off her hip.
After a few taps, the sandy boots appeared in a flash of blue lights. With the pairs now held firmly in her grasp, she leaned forward and held them out for the Sheikah to take. With a nod in appreciation, Paya took the boots and relaxed in her own bed. Unsure of what to do with herself now, Zelda stood.
"Princess?" Paya asked.
"I'm just going to go for a walk," Zelda said. "You won't be nervous in here by yourself, will you?"
"N–no, but, thank you for asking…" Paya said, lowering her head. With a nod, Zelda left her and headed out of the building and toward the Lurelin beaches.
The sun had started to set now, allowing for the glow of twilight to cover the land and sea. With a deep sigh, Zelda walked along the coasts. She had felt it earlier, but she was so distracted with Celessa and Paya that she didn't get to enjoy it, the feeling of sand beneath her soles. She could feel every pebble shift, every print she left, and every light push of the occasional wave against her feet. It was like a massage, one that she could only get here.
Placing her hands behind her back, she continued to walk down the shore as she looked at her surroundings. The beautiful waters now sparkled orange, the light of the torches that dotted the coastal village was now able to truly show their beautiful glow, and the swaying of palm trees moved in sync with the waves that brushed against her ankles. This was true beauty. This was life. This was peace, one she hadn't gotten to feel for so long.
All she needed now was for him to join her in this bliss.
I can't wait, she thought to herself, until you're here to walk these shores with me.
She hadn't known how long she had been walking, nor did she even notice when she had turned around. All she knew was eventually she noticed that the sky had turned more navy than orange, and the large ship she had left had come back in sight. With a stretch, she began heading back toward the ship, ready to go in and see what it was Celessa had cooked, but instead of heading for the doors, something caught her eye. It was a girl—no, a woman— with silver hair, sitting on her knees on the shoreline next to some rocks.
"Paya?" Zelda asked when she came within earshot, something that made the young Sheikah jolt. "What are you doing out here?"
"O–oh… Princess…" Paya said, still on her knees. "My apologies. I had finished cleaning our boots and so I decided I'd come out here and pray. This village has a statue, just like the one in mine, so…"
"A statue? What—?" Zelda began, but the moment she looked up, her question was answered.
"A goddess statue," Paya said with a smile. Allowing the small waves to brush against her knees, she placed her hands together in front of the statue and lowered her head. "I pray to the Goddess Statue every night, and to a few other statues, though, those are unique to my people."
"I see…" Zelda said.
"Do you… have a poor relationship with the goddess?" Paya asked without looking up from her prayer. "My… um… my grandmother mentioned it before, but…"
"I'm not sure what my relationship is with the goddess," Zelda said simply, having not taken her eyes off the statue. "I don't know if she is me, or if I am her. I don't know if I had been praying wrong or… or if she had just been ignoring me. I… I'm not sure. But…"
She stared at the statue. She hadn't properly looked at a goddess statue since that day: the day the Calamity Ganon had arrived after her failed, desperate prayers to the goddess. Whether it was conscious or subconscious, she knew she wouldn't have looked at one regardless. She was separate from her now; unneeded. She couldn't feel her power anymore, nor would she need it. So why bother praying to someone who waited until the last second to help?
Or… was that her own anger talking? Was she just looking for someone to blame, like the goddess, for not having a teacher to help her? Were these statues, creations of prayer that may not have any connection to unlocking her power at all, just a reason for her to place blame and set aside her insecurities?
"Do you trust the goddess?" she asked Paya quietly. After a pause, the Sheikah nodded.
"It's said that my people have followed the goddess before the kingdom of Hyrule was established," she said. "And before any record could even be written. I… I do trust her."
With a deep breath, Zelda's eyes softened at the statue.
"This whole trip is about helping Link move on, right?" she asked quietly. "I guess… I could try and move on too, as painful as it is. Besides… it was her power that saved Link that day, and her power that allowed me to talk to the Master Sword when I needed help most. Who knows if I'll ever need her power again… So… hm…"
Zelda hesitated, before closing her eyes and slowly bringing her hands up.
"I guess… a small prayer, for now, wouldn't hurt my pride too badly," she mumbled. "If I believe Link can move on from the past, I guess I have to believe I can too…"
"You say it's her power, but… I'd like to believe it's simply yours. You are the one that kept the Calamity at bay, after all," Paya said. "D–does it help to know that I'm praying alongside you?"
"It does," Zelda said softly. "It really does."
Paya smiled.
...
"Are you sure you must take your leave already?" Sidon asked as the two stood at the entrance of Zora's Domain. "You've only been here a few days. I'm sure a few more wouldn't hurt."
"As much as I'd love to, I need to get going," Link said. "The springs on Death Mountain will help speed up my healing process and then…"
"I understand. You need to go do those trials you mentioned to me before, yes?" Sidon asked. After glancing over his shoulder, Link nodded. "I understand, friend. Please, if things get too hard, come by the domain. I'll do whatever it is I can to support you."
"Thank you, Sidon," Link said. "It was really good to see you. I mean it, and… I hope I get to see you more often. I don't want to distance myself from anyone anymore."
"Then I expect to see you soon," Sidon said. "Goodbye, my friend."
With a passionate handshake, one that left Link's shoulder sore, Sidon nodded before heading back into the domain, leaving Link alone on the bridge. After watching the prince of the Zora disappear into the domain, he took a deep breath before looking down the Great Zora Bridge.
"Okay… Time to head off toward Death Mountain."