To Capture the Heart of a Hero

Chapter 27 – Zora's Domain

After spending another day with the Gorons, the tour group reassembled and packed their bags, continuing their journey to the north. Their next destination was Zora's Domain, a hidden cove beloved by the aquatic people that it was named after. The trek there was expected to be long and difficult, considering the distance as well as the numerous waterways that intersected with the Zora's home. At the very least, they knew that it wasn't going to be easy to get several horses and wagons there.

Fortunately, a plan for the group's travel had been set up ahead of time. Their first destination would actually be Lake Hylia, which was much closer to their current location and could easily be accessed from Hyrule Field. There they planned to meet up with an envoy of Zoras, who would help them travel the rest of the way by water.

Zelda was grateful for this quick stop, as it provided her with the chance to visit Lanayru, the Light Spirit that resembled a great serpent. Naturally, Link offered to accompany her, and the two of them walked over to the spring's location on the south side of the lake. As before, they both bowed their heads in prayer, and offered their gratitude for the Spirit's assistance in the final battle of the Twilight Invasion. Similar to Eldin, Lanayru must have been pleased with their words, for his lake momentarily lit up with a bright light before gently fading away.

A short while after that, the envoy of Zoras arrived, bringing several large wooden rafts along with them. The tour group was then instructed to load all of their horses and wagons onto the rafts one at a time. Fost seemed a bit nervous about the safety of such wooden structures, but the Zoras assured him that they were incredibly durable and capable of carrying great loads. Once everybody was properly boarded, the party then began the next leg of their journey by traveling upstream. Numerous Zoras swam up behind the rafts and began to push the wooden structures forward, going against the current. Zelda assumed that this would be rather exhausting work, but she was actually surprised at how well the Zoras managed it. They were naturally fast and graceful in the water. To them, pushing the rafts upstream was a breeze.

For the next few hours, the rafts traveled up the river, passing through numerous cliffs, caves, and valleys. There wasn't much for the passengers to do as they traveled, but Zelda was more than happy to take in the sights. She assumed that most people would never get the opportunity to follow this river's path from start to finish, so she made sure to treasure the experience.

Eventually, the rafts reached a cave lined with torches. The Zoras pushed the rafts inside before they finally arrived at a massive cove, which contained of a large pool of pristine water under an open sky. Numerous waterfalls rolled over the mossy cliffs, tumbling into the basin below. Zelda could only gawk as she marveled at the glorious sight that had been revealed before her eyes.

This was Zora's Domain.

The rafts were soon placed at the edge of the water, where the horses and wagons were unloaded onto solid ground. They were then led into a cavern off to the side, which would serve as their stable. Zelda felt a bit guilty about having to force Reina into a cave so often, but the white mare was willing to put up with it for the sake of her rider.

The party then ascended a long staircase that led up the cliffside, before arriving at the top of the cove's largest waterfall. Following the flowing water to its source, the group entered the Zoras' great hall. Similar to the cove, this place held a large basin of crystal-clear water, as well as a lot of elegant architecture. There were numerous arches that surrounded the pool in a circle, each one containing a lattice-like framework from top to bottom. Zelda took a moment to admire each of them, noticing the refined pattern of spirals and waves.

The group soon made their way to the final arch, which was free of any framework. Stepping through, they spotted a single seat made of stone, resting against the back wall. It was the throne of Zora's Domain, and in it sat the young Prince of the Zoras, Ralis.

The boy soon arose from his seat, and properly greeted his guests. Zelda in turn made sure to properly greet her host, as well as thank the Zoras for welcoming them into their home. The citizens that had gathered around seemed pleased to have them there, and they gladly applauded the arrival of their guests.

As had happened in the other locations they had visited, things soon developed into a more casual experience. Ralis was happy to take the group on a tour around his home, exploring the various caverns, rivers, and waterfalls. Zelda was truly amazed at just how much water was constantly traveling through this place. Then again, it was said that Zora's Domain was the source of all water in Hyrule. The Princess just had to see it in order to believe it.

As the afternoon rolled around, the assembly of Zoras started to disperse, leaving their guests to enjoy the Domain at their leisure. Ralis remained behind, asking Zelda if she would be interested in going for a swim. Zelda just smiled at the boy, happy to oblige. She had enjoyed the opportunity to bathe in the hot springs at Death Mountain, but swimming in these cool, refreshing waters would be an entirely different experience. Naturally, Ralis invited Link to join the two of them as well, and the Hero was more than willing to accept.

Zelda soon changed into her purple swimwear, while Link donned his dark trunks. They then rejoined the Prince at the large pool resting at the base of the cove. Wasting no time, the three of them entered the basin, eager to start swimming around in the clear waters.

"This is wonderful, Ralis," Zelda said as she floated on her back, letting the cool current run across her skin.

"I'm happy to see that you're enjoying yourself," Ralis replied with a bright grin. "They say that the water here is the purest in all of Hyrule."

"I can believe that," Zelda said, smiling back. Even now, she was able to glance down into the depths of the pool and see the bottom as clear as day. The lake wasn't murky in the slightest.

"Do you get the chance to swim often?" Ralis asked as he too began to float on his back.

"I'm afraid not," Zelda replied. "We have a large bath at the castle, but it's hardly useful for swimming. Getting to experience something like this is a real treat for me."

Ralis released a cheerful, boyish laugh. "That's a shame. I don't know what I would do if I didn't have access to water. I imagine that life would get boring pretty quickly."

Zelda smirked at this. She knew that for all Zoras, water was a way of life. Sure, they needed it to survive, but they also relied on it for entertainment too.

"It's really nice having you guys here," the young Zora continued. "Things have been pretty quiet ever since the Twilight Invasion ended. Not that that's a bad thing, but it's just nice to get some company after all this time."

Zelda sadly smiled, feeling a pang of sympathy well up for the boy. She soon addressed him in a soft and delicate voice. "I'm happy to hear that, Ralis. Have you been doing okay without your mother around?"

Ralis frowned a bit at this. Even now, the passing of Queen Rutela a few months back was still fresh in his mind. Zelda felt a little guilty as she watched the downtrodden expression appear on his face. She hadn't really wanted to address this topic, but she didn't want to just ignore it either. She was simply trying to be respectful to the memory of those that had passed away.

"Yes, I'm doing okay," Ralis said with a nod. "Being a Prince keeps me busy, but the adults have been helping me through it all. They constantly look after me and make sure that I am well taken care of."

Zelda closed her eyes before frowning herself. "You have my condolences, Ralis. I know what it's like to lose a parent, and it's never easy. It takes a lot of time before the pain fully goes away."

"I know," he agreed quietly. He then paused before producing a soft smile. "It's been hard, but I'm doing my best to get through it. I know that this is what my mother would have wanted. She would have wanted me to move on and become a strong beacon for our people. So I don't plan to wallow in my despair. Not forever, at least."

Zelda soon adjusted her position in the water, swimming upright so that she could turn to the boy with an encouraging smile. "That is a very brave and wise way of looking at things, Ralis. You have my utmost respect and support."

The young Zora also drifted into an upright position before flashing the Princess a bright grin. "Thank you, Zelda. That means a lot."

Zelda continued to smile back at the boy as they floated in the water. In addition to her father, the two of them were the only members of royalty left in Hyrule. It felt nice to know that she had a like-minded companion in Ralis. The two of them just naturally understood each other better than most did.

As their conversation came to a close, Ralis just paused before glancing around, looking confused. "Hmm? Did you see where Link wandered off to?"

Zelda just blinked. She had been so caught up in their conversation that she had honestly forgotten that the Hero was supposed to be with them. "He was here just a few minutes ago. Do you think he swam off somewhere?"

Ralis frowned. "I hope that he didn't swim too close to the mouth of the cove. The current really picks up there, and it's easy to get swept away if you're not a Zora."

Zelda also frowned as a feeling of dread started to well up within her. Surely the Hero had known better than to do such a thing? Growing concerned, she started glancing around the pool, hoping to spot him somewhere nearby. Unfortunately, he was nowhere in sight.

"Link?" she called, her voice revealing just how concerned she truly was. "Link, where are you?"

There was no response save for the rumbling of the nearby waterfalls.

The feeling of dread quickly grew worse as Zelda turned to Ralis once more. "You…You don't really think he…" Zelda paused. She didn't even want to finish that sentence.

However, something quickly drew Zelda and Ralis's attention away from their concerns. An unknown figure suddenly emerged from below the surface of the water, appearing right next to the Princess. She immediately shrieked in surprise as she backed away from the source of the disturbance. She soon paused however, once she recognized the figure.

"Link!?" she exclaimed.

The Hero just took a deep breath before grinning at the Princess. "Hey guys."

Zelda just stared at the man with wide eyes. She soon turned to Ralis, who looked equally surprised, before focusing her attention on Link once again. "Link, where were you!?"

Link just rubbed some of the water out of his eyes before blinking. "I was diving," he said with a shrug.

"Diving!?" Zelda repeated incredulously. "We were starting to think that you had gotten lost!"

"You did?" Link asked, now looking rather surprised as well.

Ralis nodded. "Yes. How long were you down there for, anyway?"

"About a minute," Link said, shrugging again.

"A minute!?" Zelda exclaimed, still upset by all of this. Even now, her heart was beating rather hard within her chest. "You disappeared without saying anything! I was honestly starting to get worried about you, and then you just appear right next to me, scaring me half to death!"

Link soon produced a guilty expression, finally realizing the full extent of the trouble that he might have caused. "Oh…Sorry, Zelda. I didn't mean to."

Zelda just frowned. She wasn't going to let his innocence hold back her frustration this time around. She soon took her hand and playfully splashed some water right into the Hero's face.

"Pfft!" Link exclaimed before he began blinking and coughing. "What the-? I said I was sorry!"

Meanwhile, Ralis just laughed at their antics. "Ha ha ha, you should know better than to frighten the Princess like that, Link."

Upon hearing the Prince's innocent laughter, Zelda felt herself relax a bit. She was still a little spooked, but splashing some water in the Hero's face had honestly made her feel better. Before long, she smirked in Link's direction. "He's right. As a Princess, I have the right to punish those who have made slights against me, as well as those who have endangered my wellbeing."

"Endangered your wellbeing?" Link repeated before rolling his eyes. "Oh, come on…"

"Are you questioning my judgment?" Zelda asked sternly. "Because if you are, I'd be happy to provide you with another face full of water."

Link just sighed in defeat. "No mam…"

Upon witnessing the Hero's crestfallen expression, Zelda and Ralis just turned to each other and laughed. It was amusing to see how quickly he came around. Link soon found himself smiling as well, happy that the Princess didn't seem to be too upset with him. Sometimes he worried that his reckless actions truly did offend her. Fortunately, she always seemed willing to forgive him.

"Link, you're quite the swimmer, aren't you?" Ralis asked, turning to the Hero with a smile.

Link shrugged. "I'm okay. I had the Zora Armor to help me get around the water throughout most of my adventure, but I can manage without it."

Ralis seemed satisfied with this answer. "Tell me, would you be willing to participate in a little race between us?"

Link just frowned. "A race? You mean, in the water?"

"Yes," the boy replied cheerfully. "We'd compete to see who could finish a few laps in the shortest amount of time."

Link frowned some more before sighing. Why did it feel like all the various races of Hyrule wanted to challenge the Hero to contests that they were clearly superior at? "I don't know, Ralis. I don't think it would be a fair contest. I mean, you're a Zora after all."

"But you're a mighty Hero!" Ralis replied, his eyes sparkling in admiration. "I'm sure that someone of your caliber could hold your own against me."

Link closed his eyes as a sweat drop appeared on his forehead. Why did the Prince have to put so much pressure on him like this? And it wasn't just him, but the Gorons as well. Didn't the people of Hyrule understand his limitations? Didn't they understand that being a Hero didn't necessarily mean that Link was capable of doing anything and everything?

Noticing the Hero's concerned expression, the Princess soon felt the desire to take pity on him, and cleared her throat. "Ralis, while I'm sure that Link's swimming skills are exceptional, it's only logical to conclude that the Zoras hold a significant advantage in the water over us Hylians. Even someone as capable as Link would have a hard time competing with your people in such a contest."

Link turned to the Princess with a surprised look before flashing a grateful smile. He was relieved to see that she had come to his rescue.

Meanwhile, the young Zora just sighed. "Yes, I suppose that you have a point. But I assure you, Link, that I wasn't trying to embarrass you or anything. I just thought that it might be fun to have a little competition between our people."

Link smiled at the boy. "And there's nothing wrong with that. However, I think that it would be best if we held a competition that is fair for both parties. Do you have anything else that you guys like to do around here?"

Ralis took a second to consider this. "Well, there is cliff-diving."

"Cliff-diving?" Zelda immediately repeated with raised eyebrows.

"Yes," the Prince replied with a smile. "We climb to the highest cliff next to the waterfall, and then dive down into the pool below. We Zora like to judge each other's performances when we attempt such things."

Zelda just gave the boy a doubtful look. She wasn't sure how Link felt about such activities, but she knew that she certainly didn't want to witness the Hero recklessly jumping off a cliff. "Ralis, that sounds incredibly dangerous. Don't you have any activities that are a little more…mundane?"

The Prince frowned before brainstorming some more. After a few seconds, his face lit up with an excited grin. "Ah, I've got it! We can have a fishing competition."

"Fishing?" Zelda repeated, a little surprised. She soon turned to Link, only to find that his face had brightened as well.

"Hey, that could be fun," the Hero agreed, smiling. "We can compete to see who can reel in the biggest fish."

"So you're up for it?" Ralis asked.

"Of course!" Link agreed.

Zelda just smiled back at the Hero. As long as Link was on-board with this, then she was too. And besides, at least this activity didn't sound reckless or dangerous. "Very well. I look forward to seeing the results."

"You know," Ralis continued, looking thoughtful, "we don't have to limit this competition to just ourselves, Link. We can invite everyone here to join in. We certainly have enough fishing poles to go around."

"That sounds like a great idea," Link replied with a grin. "We can determine who is the best fisherman in all of Zora's Domain."

Ralis nodded. "And this is also a contest that doesn't favor either the Zora or the Hylians. It will be completely fair for everyone involved."

Link nodded back before turning to the Princess. "This means that you can join in as well, Zelda."

Upon hearing this, she just froze. "Oh, me?"

"Of course," Ralis said with a nod. "I'm sure that everyone would love to see the Royal Princess's fishing skills in action."

Zelda frowned before shamefully looking away. "I'm afraid that there's a bit of a problem there. You see, I actually…don't know how to fish."

The two boys just turned to the Princess with blank stares. Link frowned while Ralis's mouth fell open.

"You don't…"

"...know how to fish?"

Zelda blushed a bit as she shook her head, feeling a little embarrassed. "I've never had the opportunity to learn how."

The Zora Prince gawked at her some more. "That's nearly unheard of! Why, all of my people know how to fish. We learn it at a very young age."

Zelda frowned some more. "Well of course, Ralis. Your society is entirely based around the lakes and rivers. Meanwhile, there aren't a lot of great opportunities to go fishing within the confines of the castle courtyard."

The boy just rubbed the back of his head, looking disheartened. "Still, to think that the fair Princess of our Kingdom has never experienced such a thing. It boggles the mind."

Zelda hung her head, feeling embarrassed once again. "I'm sorry to disappoint you."

However, to Zelda's surprise, Link soon laughed. She turned to the chuckling Hero, only to receive an encouraging smile from him. "Relax, Zelda. There's no need to apologize. If you don't know how to fish, then I'll just teach you."

Zelda blinked at this. "Teach me? But…are you sure?"

Link smiled some more. "Of course."

Zelda soon looked away again. "But…I've never attempted such a thing before. What if I'm no good at it?"

Link just laughed. "Nonsense. I know how smart you are, Zelda. I'm sure that you'll be able to pick this up in no time."

"Fishing is easy to learn," Ralis assured her. "You should be able to compete with everyone else without any issues."

Zelda allowed herself a small smile, grateful for their words of encouragement. "Very well then. If you are willing to teach, then I am willing to learn."

"Great," Link replied with a bright grin.

Ralis also smiled as he began swimming back to the shore. "Come on, let's go gather everyone together so we can announce the competition!"

Wasting no time, Link and Zelda smiled before swimming after him.

I considered having this chapter and the next combined into one, but I felt that the scenes they covered were different enough to warrant keeping them separate. So that's what I did. You'll just have to wait until next time to see how the fishing contest turns out :)

In other news, I recently started releasing a short Narnia story. If any of you have an interest in the Chronicles of Narnia, please feel free to give it a read. You can find it on my profile.

And that is all. Thank you!