King Dorephan had declared the Yuletide celebration to be a rousing success, despite the calamitous events of the previous two days. Everything, he reasoned, had turned out well, and even so, he had been hearing from near every Zora within his realm that they had been intoxicated by the display Princess Zelda had managed to bring to this frigid corner of Hyrule. For centuries, the cold had just been another feature of the season, but the festivities had brought a warmth that had long been absent this time of year. The Zora had their share of holiday fare, sure, but this winter climate, and the torpor it brought, it kept this season notably absent much of anything to do with celebration.
The change of pace was a magical experience for the Zora children, and a delightful adjustment to the daily routine for the adults, who tasted the goods offered by Zelda and Daruk with much excitement. Zelda had done much in the way of diplomacy as she packed up her wares, with Daruk and Link carrying much of the weight while she chatted amongst any and all passing Zora.
"Goddess, this was quite the event!" chimed one, their voice exuberant and bright.
Another agreed, speaking up fondly, "For such a usually boring time of year, this was such a joy! and that you also lit the sky on technicolor fire! I doubt I've seen anything so beautiful in all my days."
Smiling widely, Zelda bowed politely, "It was every bit my honor to bring some thrills and happiness to your fine home. It's been every bit as enchanting as you wonderful people."
The three offered a few more kind words before Zelda saw them off, returning to the cart she had wheeled here, catching a snickering Link as he dropped a crate of bulbous lights onto the wooden cart.
She scowled, dropping her fists to her hips, "Ahem. and your problem is?"
"Ever the politician," he snickered, grinning in a tease before returning to the collected assortment of crates, sacks, and assorted knick-knacks that had been huddled together. Stepping around Daruk, he took another crate before spinning back around. "But, seriously though, well done. I thought this little adventure was crazy when I first heard about it."
Proudly raising her head, Zelda bragged, "If only you had the superpower of organization as I do. Nobody can deny the prospect of sweets, pretty lights, and delightful little games."
"Yeah, it was such a big secret," Link smirked, earning him a wry grin from Zelda, who shrugged, unfazed by his teasing.
She followed Daruk back to the diminished pile, the Goron immediately stopping her with a boisterous voice, "Dearest princess, you needn't worry! We've got this!"
"Nonsense, I can help just fine. Besides, we can't just let the first Goron Saint Nicholas carry all of this on top of the hopes and dreams of all the little Zora children!" Zelda assured happily, while grabbing at a couple of satchels to pull over her shoulders, "You know, I heard a few of them were going to learn how to write more legibly so they could send off letters to you."
Daruk's face beamed, a tearful smile that spun weakly shone there as he whined, "Really?! Oh, those poor little buggers! We simply must do this again so I can make sure they get all the gifts they demand!"
"They usually say 'ask for', actually," Link noted, knowingly, "It's a bit more humble-sounding."
Zelda frowned, "Okay, yes, but-"
From behind the group, Mipha's voice appeared, "Is it not appropriate for Hylian children to request that which is needed?"
"It's complicated," Link explained, stepping on top of a crate that refused to close fully, while Daruk fought the latch, "They can, but not incessantly, otherwise that's a bit begging, and a tad petulant."
Mipha frowned, "Zelda children are encouraged to be vocal with what ails them. Otherwise, how would we know what they're lacking?"
Grumbling silently to herself, Zelda muttered aloud, "That's not- We'll make sure their demands are met, alright?"
A chuckling Daruk noted with a grin, "Well now it sounds like they've made a hostage out of you!"
Zelda rebounded, crossing her arms proudly, "You know what, I've played the kid sister long enough to know when I'm just being toyed with, and that now is one of those times! So bring it on; I'm ready!"
A celebratory growl escaped Daruk's mouth as he finally locked down the crates lid, throwing a fist triumphantly into the air, "BWAAAH! No latch can defy the might of a Gordon!"
Link hopped off from the crate, wiping his hands free of the dirt they'd accrued before addressing Zelda with a smirk, "Look what's become of our kid princess who started her adventures uncertain, green, and so ready to fly off the handle I stead of stand and reason." He brushed the top of her hair, which immediately forced Zelda to throw her arms up to protect her scalp and her hair from becoming messy. "You've grown so much."
"We're about to see how much my muscles have grown if you don't stop," groaned the Hylian princess, her Zora compatriot giggling at the two's antics.
She offered courteously, while Zelda shoved Link's arm away, "He's not wrong. You've grown by leaps and bounds since we first met. Folly upon me were I to lie; at first, I had the immediate impression that you were quite brilliant when it came to governing or leading, and your studious nature was quite evident in your personage. But as far as how to govern or lead- When it came to our previous adventure together, at first it so felt as though Lady Urbosa were steering the ship, but you changed, you grew- Now I not only see a leader before me, I see a gracious diplomat, and a worthy successor to her father, and to any ruler before you."
Zelda's brow weakened, rising in appreciation that threatened to turn into tears, before replying, "Aww, Lady Mipha! You know, as much as I learned from Lady Urbosa, I learned from you as well."
"From me?" inquired the Zora princess.
"Of course! How calm and pensive you are, how far you're willing to go to for your people first-" Zelda pondered for a moment, "Urbosa is so quick, decisive, and talks before asking questions. But you're the opposite, taking stock of things, mediating, evaluating before talking."
Hiding a furtive blush, Mipha raised a fist to her lips, turning her head to conceal her smile as well, "Oh, w- well, thank you. It's quite embarrassing to be so confronted with such compliments…"
Smiling with a frailty that denoted her empathy, Zelda offered, "My apologies. If it helps to put it this way, I couldn't ask for a better sister-princess."
Mipha eyed her quizzically, trying the term on in her mind before smiling softly, "Sister-princess. I quite like that." She lowered her head, still in some throes of embarrassment. "Thank you."
"Oh, come now; sisters don't stop at thank yous," Zelda asserted with an excited trill in her voice. She stepped toward Mipha and threw her arms around her, causing Mipha to jolt at the suddenness, though she quickly settled in, doing what she could to embrace Zelda in return, bound as her arms were.
Mewing from the side, Daruk couldn't help but pine at the affection before him, "Awww! That just warms the old bedrock, doesn't it?"
He eyed Link, who smiled, surrendering a nod, "Hyrule is in good hands."
The sentiment, full of implication toward Mipha's future left his heart sunken, but he couldn't help but witness the event before him for what it was.
Mipha remained wholly accepting of Zelda's embrace, noticing how Zelda's body heat differed from Link's. How odd it felt to discover that basic energy could have shades and hues that changed from one person to another, Mipha thought, Zelda's heat encapsulation a sense of familial warmth, as though the two of them had once truly been sisters, centuries ago, only to have rediscovered one another now. It was a warmth that was entirely enjoyable as a cozy blanket might on a cold night, a far cry from the scorching heat that radiated from Link's skin.
Almost with a saddened expression, Mipha allowed Zelda to pull away, sighing as she noted the large sack the Zora had brought with her, eying it curiously, which immediately caught Mipha's attention.
"Well, with all the excitement, I know we couldn't finish that coat," Mipha explained, earning her an inquiring glance from Zelda, "So I cut off what I could to fashion it into a scarf."
An immense excitement tore across Zelda's face as Link nodded in surprise, complementing, "Wow, that was some quick thinking! How'd it turn out?"
"Some of the edges are wonky, but," began Mipha, smiling adoringly, "My father will appreciate the sentiment. If not, I can alter it further at a later time."
Daruk frowned, "If not, I may have words for him!" His determined face immediately spun to one of concern. "Chiefly, I'd inquire as to his reasoning."
"Our fearless Champion," Link presented in mocking sarcasm, the two Sworn Brothers sharing a smarmy pair of grins.
Assuring in her tone, Mipha went on, "Oh, he wouldn't ever be so callous. Would you all like to join me in presenting it? If he were to be swayed by some heretofore malady that made him completely terse in his response to my gift, a big, tough Goron might just be what I need to feel comforted."
Rather that a boisterous show of flexation and musculation, Daruk warmly agreed, smirking knowingly, "Why, of course, my Princess! At that-" He took the large velveteen bag in his hands and wrangled it onto his shoulder, turning to look with expectation. "You're going as well, correct?"
"Of course," Link chimed simply, earning the group a hearty chuckle from Daruk, leaving Mipha to take toward the throne room with her companions in tow.
Zelda excitedly asked, "So! I know it took a while, but how did you like the confections I brought?" She smiled from ear to ear, "Daruk, you don't count."
The Goron threw an open palm into his face, groaning with a piteous plea, "Goddess, grant me taste buds…"
Mipha giggled at his antics for a brief moment before curling her brow in deep felt consideration, "I mean, I quite liked them all. That ooey gooey cake was particularly delightful, though."
Zelda nodded, agreeing,"Uh huh, uh huh. And Link?"
Peering off as he walked toward some distance, Link answered absentmindedly, "Oh, everything is delicious here."
Mipha dropped her face to hide her wide eyes, feeling her heart constrict.
"That's cheating!" declared Zelda, "Pick one thing that you liked the taste of most."
Thankfully, for Mipha, Link's attention had returned, leaving him sputtering, "Uh, I guess those little gingerbread men?"
"Ah, yes! So scrumptious!" Zelda clicked her lips, tasting the delicacies she had chosen, "Mipha, you must bring some of your festivities to the Kingdom!"
Smiling, Mipha nodded,"I was actually pondering that the other day: which of our festivals might be most palatable to your people. The Feast of Hululuh might be the most accessible; it's a week-long celebration for an ancient deity, which begins with a fish bone collect-a-thon, so to speak, before a basking marathon where only the most hardy of Zora can withstand the longest day's sunlight in its entirety, before concluding with a taddie runoff where-"
"Oh my god! Is that where the young children race around the Domain?!" Zelda squealed with delight, "How adorable!"
Mipha smiled nervously, "Actually, the feast ends with an orgy of sorts atop the Veiled Falls." Zelda's face dropped, eyes wide. "Back when our numbers were considerably larger, and such practices much less taboo, it was said the tadpoles shone like a runoff of foam that sparkled like starlight in the moon's presence. That's where the name came from, actually."
Zelda's face reddened, though Link simply shrugged, noting to her plainly, "I don't know; I'd think that would be a hit amongst your subjects."
Daruk merely shrugged, "I don't see the appeal."
Waving her hands in the air before her face, Zelda reasoned with a stammer, "I d- I don't think that- might be the best introduction, you know? Maybe just like a culinary exploration, like a farmer's market or something."
"That would work, too," Mipha smiled, hiding a much more amused smirk, catching Link chuckling into his clenched fist, "I'll bring the idea up with my father. You two are always visiting us; it would be quite nice to visit Hyrule Castle once again."
"And not in shackles," Daruk grumbled absently to himself.
Zelda faced a glance at Link, smirking before returning her attention to the approaching throne room, muttering a haughty breath as Link watched, pithy, "Yes, well, we may just have to arrange something, won't we?"
"You know how I don't like when you're silently planning things," Link grumbled, causing Mipha to giggle.
Zelda smirked, "This whole festival worked out, didn't it?"
"Literally due to divine providence, yes," Link recalled with a teasing grin of his own.
Daruk bowed low, his magnanimous movement calling attention to the two Hylians that they had arrived, the two of them bowing in reverence to the royal guard stationed outside Dorephan's chamber. Mipha offered a nod, which satisfied the Zora guard's tenacious temperament, stepping aside to allow passage for the three visitors accompanying the Princess.
Dorephan's muted expression immediately crested into elation at the sight of his visitors, throwing his body forward to better examine the four approaching him, his voice loud and booming, matching even Daruk's vigorous cheers, "Ah! My dear daughter and our Hylian entourage! I am thrilled to see you; I wanted to offer my sincerest thanks for bringing this event to pass, and so successfully, I must add! I've heard nothing but immense joy from any and all who have spoken of it!"
"It was my absolute honor, King Dorephan," Zelda bowed respectfully, "I must extend my own thanks for allowing this at all-" She frowned. "As well as my regrets toward desecrating sacred ground. I trust you understand my intentions were not to offend."
"Bwahaha!" boomed Dorephan's erupting laughter, "You mean your actions atop the Reservoir? My dear Princess, if there were any Hylian I've learned to trust in such matters, it would be you. There was no offense extended, though I have extended yours, and my own, sincerest apologies to Watcher Navo. Even so, I understand he was more gobsmacked than distraught by your actions. You did save his life, after all, in addition to many others. For that, I cannot thank you enough."
He smiled with a nod, allowing Zelda to bow once again, smiling brightly, "Thank you, King Dorephan."
He shrugged, "If your attitudes toward my people are any indication of what's to come between my Domain and your Kingdom, I have nothing but excitement within my fins for what the future holds."
"Oh, I assure you, I'll be far from the last Hylian who hold your people on such equal regard as our own. You can trust me on that!" assured a confident Zelda.
Dorephan chuckled as he sat back into his chair, having concluded his official State business, turning to Daruk, "Now then, what's this? The last time I was brought a nondescript bag, Muzu considered appointing a royal taster, sniffer, and bag opener."
Laughing, Zelda retorted,. "Did he end the list with, 'trademark'?"
"Pardon?" chimed a befuddled King Dorephan.
"N- Nothing," uttered Zelda while dropping her head to hide a blush.
Daruk dropped the sack onto the ground with ease, ceding the floor to allow Mipha the spotlight, which she took with grace, "Well, father, one of the major tenets of Hylian Yuletide is the giving of gifts, so-" Rather unfamiliar with such a ritual, Mipha eyed the bag curiously, unsure how to progress, before simply throwing her arms out toward the large satchel, "Here you go!"
With appraisal, Dorephan eyed the bag with inquiry in his eyes, allowing Link to lean forward toward Mipha, offering quietly, "Usually you give it to them to open."
"O-Oh!" Mipha suddenly spouted, going on, "Here you go!"
She pulled the sack forward for her father to reach down and grab, the gigantic Zora grasping it with ease before playing with it in his hands as though to ascertain its contents. While Mipha had struggled somewhat to drag it, and Daruk and only managed to wrangle it over his shoulder, Dorephan tossed the bag from hand to hand like a tennis ball, eyes curling wryly in critique, finally allowing himself to end the mystery with a childish grin.
"This is quite entertaining," he laughed, pulling apart the seam at the head of the satchel, reaching in to pull out a mastodonic scarf bearing the familiar crimson material that resembled the coat once made for him by his wife before his regal position prompted his current size. He mouthed in awe, whispering in shock, "Oh, my. It's my coat, but- Not."
Mipha rubbed her arm in embarrassment, admitting quietly, "Well, with all the trouble, instead of upsizing it, I kind of- macerated it and fashioned a scarf out of it."
Daruk turned to Link with worry in his face, silently mouthing, "Macerated?!"
Link shrugged pleadingly.
"Ah," her father spoke warmly, smiling with a nostalgic swing of his lips, "Your mother made it so I might resemble her in her royal color, so preoccupied with the two of us becoming one as she was." He paused, fondly reminiscing somewhere in his mind. "I'd long forgotten what I might have looked like were she and I to actually bear the same scalage."
He eyed his daughter knowingly, "It is as though you've brought her back to me, with how vivid the memories tied to this simple fabric are in this moment. Simple as it may be, no amount of rupees could conjure up what this has. For that, you have my endless gratitude, my daughter."
Mipha smiled, stepping forward in time with her father as he bent low to take her into a hug, Mipha largely conceding the point given her father's immense size, though she still reached her arms around him as best she could. They shared this closeness for some moments before relinquishing their hold, allowing Dorephan to fashion the scarf around his neck.
"Well? How does it look?" he openly inquired.
"Regal!" noted Zelda.
"Towering," came Link's appraisal.
"Formidable!" smirked Daruk.
Dorephan chortled happily, rumbling, "Ha ha! You all flatter me with such kind and reverent words. I assure you, however, that such things will not sway me in any upcoming negotiations."
"Oh, not at all!" immediately chimed Zelda, though Link put on a sardonic expression, frowning as though hoping that weren't the case, which forced another chuckle from the King.
He paused, noticing Mipha's comforted stare, realizing she hadn't answered his question.
She smiled, examining the scarf now wrapped around his scaly neck like an ornate decoration, noting quietly, "You look like mom is still here dressing you."
"Well, she always was the one to gaze into the future instead of focusing merely on the present," Dorephan spoke reverently, his voice a careful tone that shone his deep love an affection even after all these years, "It seems only fitting she would weave me a coat that our daughter would one day affix to my future figure." He smiled brightly toward his daughter. "She would be immensely proud of the woman you've become."
Mipha wore a sincere smirk, longing for days past, but turned a subtle glance toward Link, who was watching the scene before him with a smile of his own. As much as she pined for some essence of childhood that remained forever lost to her, she also yearned for the future, for things to come, and for memories that might just, one day, occupy her every thought more so than anything from years prior might have once upon a time.
