Didn't think you'd see me post another kiss scene in less than a month, did ya? Surprisingly, this one turned out to come really easily. Not even I expected the inspiration for this kiss scene to hit me so quickly! With that being said...
I'M FREEEEEEEEE! It's been seventeen kiss scenes long, but this is the last of the Twilight Princess scenes! Next stop: Hyrule Warriors, baby! And, boy do I have some plans for that one!
As always, please be sure to leave a review if you enjoy this one, or you have suggestions on how to improve my kiss scenes. Thank y'all so much!
It was nearly impossible for Ralis, the young Zora king, not to feel a bit intimidated by the company he found himself in. It was made all the more acute by how tossed around he'd been feeling lately. He hoped the other people in the room didn't notice his nervousness, or comment on his young age.
Just a couple months ago, the Twilight invasion had brought the entire region to its knees. His mother, Queen Rutela, and the Hylian royal couple, had fallen in short order, leaving the young Hylian princess Zelda queen at only seventeen, and himself as the Zora king at eleven. He wasn't sure how Zelda was taking her sudden accession, but for his part, he felt like an utter wreck. He'd just lost his mother far too young, and to add to his burdens, his people now expected him to lead them. Not once had a day gone by in his short reign where he didn't break down in a mess of tears at least twice.
It was in the midst of this that a messenger came to the Domain from queen Zelda, inviting him to a summit between the leaders of the various kingdoms and towns affected by the invasion. The meeting was to take place in Kakariko, an odd choice when the splendid Hyrule Castle was available, but more convenient for himself and the Gorons; Zelda had clearly chosen the place for that reason, to build good relations with them. The small town was only a few hours' swim from the Domain, so despite his emotional turmoil, he'd made time to come today.
Now here he sat in far more mature company, wondering how he could possibly contribute anything to the summit. Besides the tall, slender queen Zelda, he found himself sharing the Kakariko inn's main room with mayor Bo of Ordon, a stocky, casual man from the South; Darbus, the massive, warpainted Goron chief; Renado, the tanned, contemplative headman of Kakariko; and a short elderly lady named Impaz, who was evidently the last of the Shiekah in Hyrule. They all seemed older, wiser, and more in control of themselves than he felt. Even Zelda, who Ralis knew had lost her parents recently as he had, seemed unperturbed and all business.
Ralis was sure he'd break down sobbing and make a nuisance of himself in this company, though whether it would be from his grief or his nerves, the Three only knew.
…
As it turned out, the first day of the summit went far better for the young king than he'd guessed. The other leaders - even the fierce-looking Darbus - had been surprisingly gentle with him, offering their condolences and never once talking down to him. They were all at pains to ensure each leader had a voice in the discussions, and several times, Ralis found himself being openly asked for his opinion on one matter or another (though no one faulted him for the times he declined to express it). He had only one proposition of his own: to bolster the Domain's ability to defend itself by trading fish from the river for iron from Death Mountain from which to forge new weapons and armor. Darbus had been almost jubilant in his acceptance; no one present had counted on the Goron people's appetite for fish. The short exchange had done wonders for Ralis' confidence for the remainder of the meeting.
With the day drawing to a close and some issues yet to be discussed, Renado - who evidently ran the inn the were in, on top of being Kakariko's chief - offered everyone a room to spend the night. This was something everyone readily accepted, as no one wished to travel home, no matter how close, at such a late hour.
Ralis had offered to share a room with the two guards who'd accompanied him, but when it was pointed out that the inn had no individual rooms to fit all three (and that his two guards were a couple themselves, and would want to stay together), he caved, accepting his own room. Here he now sat, marveling at how he could be part of something so momentous at his young age, and speculating at what else could possibly need discussing tomorrow.
There came a knock at the door, breaking him out of his musings. It wasn't a hurried knock, nor an aggressive one. That was good, he thought; whatever it was, couldn't be too terribly urgent. "Come in," he called softly, thinking it to be one of the guards.
When the door opened, Ralis was surprised to see queen Zelda enter the room, quietly closing the door behind her. Tall and slender, with a waterfall of brown hair and piercing grey eyes set on an angular face, she seemed far more mature than her seventeen years. She was captivating and intimidating in equal measure, the young Zora thought. Right now, her expression was serene and gentle; it had been serene during the meeting today, but more businesslike than it was now. It was all Ralis could do to stop himself from gaping as she moved to sit beside him on the bed.
"How're you feeling?" she asked simply, her tone communicating that she was actually interested in his emotions.
Ralis shook the surprise out of his head and held up his hand in a "so-so" gesture. "I never thought I'd be part of something like this," he answered. "It's a little scary, actually."
Zelda smiled. "I know the feeling," she reassured him. "Don't tell anyone else, but still I'm not used to political things like this." This last was said with a conspiratorial smirk.
Ralis' eyes widened. "You mean…you were nervous too?" he asked, incredulous.
Zelda nodded, laughing sweetly. "I'm still not over what the Twilight forces did to my parents, any more than you are. It's a lonely life, having to run a kingdom while orphaned, isn't it?"
Ralis nodded sadly. He didn't like to think about his mother's death (though he was, thankfully, not present to witness it), but it was something he couldn't escape.
Zelda smiled sadly in response to his nod. "I want you to know that I plan to help you and your people rebuild," she told him. "Your domain was one of the places hardest hit by the invasion, so whatever you need in order to recover, I'll provide it."
Ralis' eyes went wide once more. "But…didn't your territory take it pretty bad too?" he asked.
Zelda gave him a smile in return that was actually rather cheerful. "We still have enough resources to help both ourselves and you. And don't worry about offering something in return. This is something I want to do, for you and your people."
Ralis thought he couldn't possibly get more shocked. Queen Zelda was going out of her way to help him and the Domain…simply because she wanted to? And yet, young as he was, he could still see one weak spot in her plan. "What would your people think?" he inquired. "Don't you think they might be a little mad that you're spending to help us without getting anything back?"
It seemed Zelda hadn't thought of that yet, as she looked down towards the floor, her chin resting on one hand as she thought through potential solutions.
And then something came to her. "They wouldn't complain so much if they knew we were betrothed," she said, almost to herself.
Okay, now Ralis knew he couldn't get more shocked. Technically, of course, he knew such a suggestion was not completely absurd. His history lessons had taught him that some of his ancestors had married for alliances, as had some of the Hylian royal family. But for the Hylians, at least, that was quite rare, and Zelda didn't seem the type to go through with something like that. And that was just scratching the surface of all the factors that made her suggestion seem out of the blue.
He spoke the first of those concerns out loud: "Are you sure we know each other well enough for that?"
Zelda shrugged, almost nonchalantly. "Betrothal doesn't mean we'd get married straight away," she explained. "We'd wait until you're older, of course, so there'd be plenty of time for us to get to know each other better. And…well…my piece of the Triforce lets me see into you a little bit. I can tell your heart is steadfast and good, and I don't even need the Triforce to know how sweet you are." She said this last with a warm smile that made Ralis blush.
For several seconds, he didn't respond. Then another thought came to him. "There'd be some political weirdness involved, wouldn't there?" he guessed.
Zelda suggested the idea for a second, before answering with another shrug, "That could be figured out later. For now, though…May I?" She leaned in towards him, eliminating any need to actually say what she was asking permission for.
Ralis hadn't stopped blushing from her last statement, and seeing her leaning in for a kiss - more than that, asking if she could share one with him - made it all the more intense. He couldn't find it in him to actually vocalize an answer. His tiny nod of the head was sufficient, though.
Gently, Zelda turned his face toward her and closed the remaining distance between them, letting their lips meet. Ralis was shy in kissing back, of course, but she didn't mind. She was content simply to guide him in what she was sure was his first kiss ever. Judging by how he took her free hand in his, she could tell he was enjoying it. She made no attempt to deepen the kiss; that would come about later, when he was ready, she resolved.
And resolved she was, for she was enjoying this as well. Sure, his kisses were timid, but she thought it suited him well. She had only suggested a betrothal off-handedly, but now the idea of actually committing to it (if he said yes, of course) was starting to seem more and more attractive.
Before too long, their lips finally separated from each other. Ralis was heavily flushed, breathing hard, and looking starry-eyed back at Zelda. The Hylian queen couldn't help but grin at that. "Seems like you're okay with my idea," she observed. Ralis nodded, to which she responded with another kiss.