Hero by Heart

Chapter 14

When Link opened his eyes he instantly knew he had been sleeping way too long. The sun was already high in the sky, putting everything in a shiny bright light.
Looking around, Zelda was nowhere to be found, so he quickly got up and gathered his things. That was when his eye fell on a flat rock, the size and shape of a plate. On it was a piece of bread, some dried bacon and an apple.
He smiled as he realised Zelda had not abandoned him, but instead made him some breakfast. Though it still left him with the question of where she was.
     He decided to look for her after his breakfast and sat down to eat it, but when he was almost finished she already appeared from underneath the trees.
She looked beautiful, with her hair tied together and her comfortable traveling outfit, a bag slung over her shoulder which seemed to be filled with whatever she had collected.
Despite all of that, Link could see in her eyes that she was still torn as she looked at him, half smiling and half grimacing.
     He got up and smiled at her, while offering to take the bag. She smiled politely back at him and held it out.
     'Thank you, Link. Did you sleep well?'
     He blushed a little, while rubbing the back of his head. He really had been sleeping for too long. 'Yeah, I did. I feel much better now,' he said, as he sat down.
     'I was actually hoping we would continue to the Domain,' Zelda said, awkwardly grinning.
     Link quickly got up again and nodded. 'Of course. Whatever you want.'
     Zelda looked like she wanted to say something, but decided not to. She gathered her stuff and waited for Link to do the same.
     The path up was uneventful, as they slowly walked on. The road passed beside the river until it crossed over Oren Bridge.
     It was a beautiful day and the view was stunning, with waterfalls coming down the high cliffs left and right.
     The road kept winding through the mountainous landscape, while occasionally leading them through narrow clefts in the rocks.
     As they reached Luto's Crossing, Zora's Domain finally came into view.
     Link and Zelda both stopped on the bridge to look around at the incredible sight. There were high cliffs and deep dales, with the river running far below them. From here they had a clear view of the mountain where Vah Ruta was sitting, rising so high above them they had to put their heads in their necks.
     The Domain looked small from here, a big waterfall falling from the plateau and the sunlight reflecting from all the water and the beautiful carved structures.
     Zelda eventually put her eyes on the road ahead again and continued walking, Link following in her wake. He was not about to let her out of his sight again.
     The road kept winding up Ruto Mountain, making a steep and difficult climb. When they finally reached the top, both Link and Zelda stopped for a while to catch their breath. The view of Lanayru Mountain was splendid, as it stood out from the surroundings in a sharp peak.
     The road went down after that, giving them a clear view of their destination, which Link noticed wasn't lost on Zelda. She was walking faster now, an excited glimmer in her eyes as she kept looking at it.
     The road turned away from the Domain one last time, before it ended on a naturally formed bridge, from where the giant fish shape of the Zora was clearly visible.
Finally, in the late noon, they stepped onto the large bridge that formed the entrance to Zora's Domain.
     Link saw a massive grin appear on Zelda's face, the most genuine he had seen all day. She looked at the beautiful creation with big eyes, the light reflecting in them.
     Before Link could say anything, she was walking again, across the bridge. He smiled to himself and followed, falling into step a little behind her.
          The bridge was enormous, seemingly lasting forever, but eventually they entered the Domain.
As soon as they stepped off the bridge, they were greeted by the guards, both of them excitedly grinning.
     'Hylian Champion!'
Link turned towards the right guard, who was waving with his spear.
'Hello, Rivan,' he answered with a smile, before greeting the other guard he knew as Dunma.
He looked over at Zelda and saw her slightly awkward expression, clearly uncomfortable with the situation. It must be hard for her to not know anyone, while he seemed to know everyone.
He gestured to her as he looked at the two Zora again. 'This is Princess Zelda. She came to meet you and take a look at Vah Ruta. Do you know where Sidon is?'
The two guards bowed their heads down at the princess and politely greeted her, introducing themselves. They then turned back to Link. 'He should be up on the second level.' Rivan said. 'I think you'll notice him straight away.'
Link nodded and thanked the two Zora, before gesturing Zelda to go ahead of him.
She smiled at the guards and walked on, deeper into the Domain, as she secretly looked around in admiration.
Link greeted a few more acquaintances, but kept it to a minimum, so he would not make Zelda any more uncomfortable. He was just here as her guard.
After walking up the big, winding stairs, they reached the platform where indeed the big Zora Prince stood, watching out over the Domain beneath him.
     He looked up as they neared, a big smile plastered on his face.
     'Welcome, Princess! It is so nice to finally meet you again.' He stepped towards them and extended his fin-like hand for her to take. 'I might have been only a little kid when we last met, but it is so good to see you again!' He exclaimed as he enthusiastically shook her hand.
     Zelda looked a bit perplexed, a confused smile on her face.
     Link could see how the warm welcome touched her, not only because for once someone seemed to notice her before they noticed Link, but also because this was someone from her past. Someone who remembered her, who she had a connection to.
     Link smiled to himself as he watched the little encounter, happy to let her have all the attention. He wished he could make it easier for her, being a princess of a kingdom where barely anyone knew her face.
     'We have so much to catch up on,' Sidon continued his enthusiastic greeting. 'Come on, let's go talk to father. He has been dying to talk to you.'
     'Sidon?' Zelda's soft voice cut in, just as the Zora was about to drag her into the mouth of the giant fish shape.
     He looked back, an expectant smile on his face.
     'Do you truly remember me?' Zelda asked, her soft voice and the careful uncertainty making Link wince.
     Sidon's smile never wavered as he nodded. 'I sure do, Princess. You used to visit a lot to look at our Divine Beast. You were friends with my sister Mipha too. I can remember the day you came to take her away with you.' The Zora Prince looked down at his feet, a shameful look in his eyes. 'I was actually quite angry at you for that for a long time, since she never came back to us.'
     Zelda's face dropped and she nervously fumbled with her tunic, averting her eyes.
     'Don't worry, Princess,' Sidon quickly continued. 'I know now that it was not your fault. There was nothing you could have done. She wanted to do this and she was prepared for it, just not the part where Ganon took control.' He looked up at the mountain where Vah Ruta was perched, a sad look on his face. 'No one was prepared for that.'
     Zelda stepped forward and put a hand on his arm, having to stand on her toes to even reach it.
     'She died a hero,' Sidon continued, his previous enthusiasm gone from his voice.
     'She did,' Zelda nodded. 'She was a true Champion. I am so very sorry for how everything turned out.'
     Sidon nodded, before the characteristic grin appeared on his face again. 'But you two still live, and you really did it! You finally slayed the beast.' At that he turned to Link for the first time, giving him a slap on the back. 'I knew you could do it! I told you! It's amazing!'
     Link laughed at his contagious good mood and nodded, staying modest.
     Zelda now smiled as well, beaming up at the big Zora. 'You really have grown a lot since I last saw you,' she said with a wink.
     Link felt a stab of jealousy as he saw that. She looked so charming and gentle, but he knew she would not treat him the same. Not after what he had done.
     'Oh, I have,' Sidon exclaimed, flexing his biceps with a mocking grin on his face.
     Zelda laughed and Link tried to keep his face straight, not showing the flash of annoyance he felt at their innocent interactions.
     Finally they seemed to calm down and Sidon now started dragging them along to the stairs leading to the throne room, where his father would be.
     'Oh, Link,' he suddenly said, making Link quirk up an eyebrow in question. 'You should probably know that the Zora are very grateful for everything you did, and there has been talk of raising you a matching statue near the one of Mipha.'
     Links eyes went wide, as he opened his mouth in shock. He stammered a few times, not making any coherent words.
     Zelda looked over her shoulder at him, her expression unreadable. He looked at her pleadingly, but she turned her head back forward, leaving a sinking feeling in his stomach.
     'You really should not,' Link finally managed. 'I don't deserve the honour. Mipha should be the centre of attention there. It wouldn't feel right. Please make them rethink this, Sidon.' He looked at the prince with pleading eyes, feeling a slight panic in his chest.
     Sidon grinned at him, seemingly not surprised. 'I knew you would say that. That's why I told them not to do it, luckily. You should have seen your face.' He laughs, before walking on and stepping into the room.
     Link shot a look at Zelda, but she just shrugged and gave him a small smile.
      There seemed to be no other choice than to enter behind the prince, so one step behind Zelda, he climbed the last few steps and stepped into the shallow water.
     The throne room was a dome-like structure, with curved walls and arches all around them. Everything seemed to be some kind of blue colour, with water streaming around their feet and off the platform.
     Walking forward they stepped onto a raised platform, a Zora sign carved into it. Link stopped half a metre behind the princes and looked up at the great Zora King.
The giant Whale-like Zora was looking down on them, a small smile on his lips. He had dark blue scales and was decorated with Royal Garments befitting a king.
'Ah, Princess Zelda! Welcome!' He said with his deep, rumbling voice. He then looked at Link and nodded once. 'Link! It is good to see you too.'
The king leaned forward until he looked Zelda almost straight in the eye. 'We are so very thankful for the two of you. You saved Hyrule! If there ever is anything you desire, just let me know.' He beamed at the two Hylians, incredibly small in comparison.
     Link noticed how Zelda smiled back at him, politely but definitely genuine.
     'King Dorephan,' she said, her voice full of warmth. 'It is so good to see you again. You have aged quite well, if I may be so bold.' She chuckled and the large Zora let out a deep rumble that vibrated around them.
     'You too, Princess!' He exclaimed. He laughed again and patted himself on the chest. 'And you,' he said, turning to Link. 'I must say you don't look so good. You should really get yourself cleaned up.' He looked up again. 'I'll have them prepare rooms for you, so you can refresh yourselves. We will talk over dinner tonight, if that is alright with you.'
     Zelda politely accepted his request and they turned to descend the stairs again, Sidon still standing on the top of it. He smiled and made a welcoming gesture towards the Domain.
     'Please make yourselves at home here.' He beamed at Zelda and Link felt another pang of jealousy, as they walked past him. He scolded himself for it. He should not be thinking like this, Sidon obviously meant nothing with it.
     As they stepped down the stairs, Zelda said she would be checking out the inn and make sure they had a place for them, while Link wanted to head to the store to find himself some new clothes, so he could wash up.
     They parted ways, which left him a little uneasy. Still, he reminded himself that she was safe here, inside the Domain. She might need some time alone. He wanted to give her the space she needed.
     So he walked into the shop and chose some of the travelers clothes they had on display, along with a small supply of food.
     He made his way to the baths and took his time soaking in the warm water, finally washing off all the filth that was clinging to him.
     It was delicious and refreshing, and bit by bit he felt like himself again. Once he had carefully scrubbed every part of his body, he climbed out and redid his bandages. He then got dressed and walked to the tub where he could wash his clothes.
     It felt a little useless, washing his torn clothes. He could probably not wear this again anyway. But it kept him busy and he wanted to keep his mind occupied.
     When he was finally finished he brought them over to the inn, where Zelda had arranged a bed for him. It was not much, but he never needed much.
     He hung out his clothes to dry and looked around, but the princess was nowhere to be found. Had she gone off without him? Was she trying to avoid him?
     He still felt terrible about everything that happened, but it had seemed like she was on her way to forgive him. Maybe he just had to give her some more time.
     He decided to not go looking for her and fell down on his bed, feeling like he could take a quick nap before their dinner with the king.