The Legend of Zelda: Zelda's Honor

Chapter 7 - Princess in Name Only

She set down the sapphire into its place stand and stepped back a few paces to admire it. How long had it been since she had last seen him? Almost a year she mused. What a wicked boy to not come see her after all these moons. She turned her head to the side to glance lovingly at her father who was sitting on his rocky throne, content to snoring loudly as always. Water brushed past his royal cape as the current split around his seated bulk. She shook her head slightly and smiled in thought. Where had he gotten that stupid red cape? It probably washed ashore near their domain. Thinking it regal, a distant ancestor probably picked it up and claimed it as a royal object of the Zoran nobility.

She was a princess of the Zoras, an aquatic race of people who had evolved from simple ordinary fish into walking sentient beings. They had the body structure of a human, but their skin was of cyan hued scales. Their arms had fins attached to the outer forearm to assist in their travels through the water. Their webbed like feet ensured deft movement and speed when making tight turns.

A hierarchy had emerged in Zoran culture. A king or queen was crowned and each successive ruler would pass his or her power to the next king or queen. There were no sexual prejudices in their society. Her father was the current king and had really let himself go. He was a rotund figure, doing not much these days but sit on his rocky throne overseeing the rest of his domain. His scrawny arms and legs indicated many cycles of neglect. The only things he seemed to do these days was sleep and eat.

Unlike most Zoras who had an elongated tail (as it were) coming out from the back of their heads like that of a dolphin, Princess Ruto was unique. The most distinct thing about Ruto that differentiated her from the rest was that she had acquired a type of anvil shaped head. She was also more proportioned like a female human would be. Most Zoran males or females were usually shaped like a male human. Many were fascinated by this and claimed that she was the start of a new evolutionary chain of Zora descendants but no one could prove it.

At the tender age of 12, Ruto had assumed the role of heir to the throne shortly after Link left her almost a cycle ago. He had come swiftly with purpose. He convinced the king to let him see the great Lord Jabu Jabu; their patron deity who was ever watchful of his children. At the time, Lord Jabu Jabu was unwell and refused to eat anything they had offered him. It wasn't until Link did the impossible: he went inside the great fish! The Zoras were stunned, it was almost as if he knew exactly what was wrong with their Lord. When he emerged from the fish maw, Lord Jabu Jabu was well again!

As they talked in reprieving isolation together, Ruto grew more enamored with his strength, his courage and his tenacity. She would be the first one to admit she had fallen head over heels for this young human boy who had completely swept her off her feet. She didn't quite understand all that he had said; he was spouting things like coming back from the future. He appointed himself the task to undo the wrongs for both the Gorons and the Zoras that Ganondorf had accomplished prior to his arrival. His confidence was infectious. Very few people knew the entire story of his adventure to stop Ganondorf; most of the populace were oblivious.

Without a second thought, she handed to Link their family's most royal possession, the Zora Sapphire, a mysterious gem that had been inherited through the generations of the Zoran family. It was more than just a symbolic gesture of appreciation it was also a Zora engagement commitment. This was the man she was to marry, the fact that he was a Hylian be damned! She stared dreamily into his eyes as he recounted his stories. She truly was listening but she was far more interested in him rather than anything he was talking about. He was always jumpy around her and it was unbelievably cute; she would always want to be near him and breathe in his forest-like scent. She had never smelt the like and it was an aphrodisiac to her.

Which made the split all the more tortuous for Ruto; Link had returned the Zora Sapphire to her claiming it was for the Zoras to keep possession of. He said that it was safer with them than where he was going. How Ruto cried that day. No one could console her for the emotional hurt was too great. Her only love had forsaken her and given back the engagement symbol. Ruto still kept a glimmer of hope in her heart that he would come back one day and sweep her off her feet and hold her dearly in his arms kissing her furiously.