A Couple of Trials (ZeLink)

Chapter 62: The Council's Judgment

"Are we here?" she asked. "Is this the domain?"

"Just a small part of it," Zelda answered. "Have you never been here? I'd be surprised if you haven't, seeing as the Zora would be able to give you an accurate account of our history."

"I thought that, but I also heard the Zora weren't too fond of Hylians," Celessa said, twisting her body to look around at the architectural glory. "Knowing that and how dangerous the path here was, I never bothered."

"Only the elders disliked us once before, but thanks to Link's influence, that's subsided. Maybe you'll be able to talk to some of those elders and get some history lessons," Zelda said with a smile. "Come on. Follow me and you'll see the rest of its beauty."

With a splash, Zelda stepped off the shrine's platform and into the shallow waters, heading for the beautiful waterfall staircase that led up and out of the room. Following suit, Celessa stepped into the waters, but Paya stayed right where she was.

"U–uh... Pr–Princess?" she called out. Halfway up the stairs, Zelda turned, along with Celessa. "U–um... I'm s–sorry, but... Do either of you have boots I c–could borrow?"

Confused, both looked down at Paya's feet before realizing the Sheikah's choice of travel footwear: open-toed boots and socks.

"Oh! Of course!" Zelda said, pulling the slate from her hip as Celessa held back a laugh. "I believe I have some Hylian boots you can wear if you believe they'll fit... Here they are..."

After a few taps on the illuminated screen, the boots appeared in a flash of blue. Walking back down, she kindly held out the boots to Paya. Embarrassed, the Sheikah took them and sat down on the pedestal. Once the Hylian boots had been planted on her feet, she gave her traditional sandals back to Zelda, who in another tap of blue lights, stored them away. With everyone now able to step into the water comfortably, the three made their way up the staircase, where the rest of the icicle-covered domain greeted them. Now standing in the domain's square, the three stood in awe.

"Incredible... It's so beautiful during the winter," Zelda said as Paya stood silently in surprise.

"Even with how cloudy it is out here, it still sparkles," Celessa said, sporadically looking left and right. "Amazing..."

"I–it is..." Paya finally spoke quietly. "And I believed Lurelin was different from my home... This looks like I've stepped into a new world."

"Princess Zelda!"

At the call of her name, Zelda looked down to see three Zora children running her way, something that made Paya gasp.

"A–are those Zora?" she whispered to Celessa, who chuckled and nodded. "T–they really look like fish..."

"Well, they are fish people," Celessa said as Zelda knelt to greet the children.

"Hello you three," she said happily as the three Zora stopped in front of her. "It's good to see you again. I know it's been quite some time."

"I thought we'd see you soon! I thought so!" the red-scaled Zora child, Laruta, said excitedly before turning to the blue-scaled Zora children behind her. "I told you two we would!"

"You did. You did," both Tumbo and Keye said tiredly in unison.

"You guessed that I'd suddenly appear"?" Zelda asked curiously, to which Laruta nodded vigorously, causing the fishtail behind her heat to swing around.

"I did! And I saw you first!" Laruta said. "If there's one person who can take my eyes off Prince Sidon, it's the princess of Hyrule!"

"Off Sidon?" Zelda repeated. "Were you just looking at him? Is he around—?"