: iiiChapter Text

They reach Gerudo Town before nightfall. The rest of the day is dull. The troupe makes it back in time for their night shift.

Link's dancing seems off. He's distracted. He wants to go back to Zora's domain. The world got so much wider, and then it began to shrink again as soon as he came back to Gerudo Town.

He's grateful when the night is over and things start to quiet down. He sits in the common area with the rest of the girls who are chit-chatting away.

However, he feels a specific set of eyes on him, making the hair on the back of his neck stand up. Kevum, a longtime troupe member, plops herself on a cushion across from Link.

"You know, you're awfully lucky," she muses as she twirls a strand of her hair between her fingers. "The prince took quite an interest in you."

Link tries not to start anything, and just nods his head slowly.

"Always so quiet," she smirks. "What the hell did that Zora see in you anyway?"

Link looks away, unsure of himself. Kevum lowers her veil, unashamed of the frown matched with her glare.

"Should have been one of us up there. But no. You're the chief's precious pet, so you get all the special treatment. Before you, it was me. You'll be replaced... eventually."

Link actually hopes those words are true. He hates being as special as everyone seems to make him out to be.

"Don't think I didn't notice you fiddling with your hair," she says accusingly. "What did he give you? Can I see it?"

Link thinks for a moment and shakes his head. Surely, she'd break it just to spite him. Wouldn't be the first time Kevum has broken his belongings.

"Ohh, come on, Link. I promise I won't even touch it!"

With a sigh, Link let's down his veil to show the bracelet holding his ponytail up.

"Are those real pearls?!" Kevum exclaims.

Just like that, a crowd has formed around them. The girls are gawking.

"How pretty!"

"It looks expensive."

"The prince gave that to you?!"

Link doesn't know how to respond, but his chest tightens. Before he can pull his veil back up, Kevum reaches and yanks his hair, earning a yelp of surprise.

"Oh, now you speak?" She laughs. "Come on, do it again!"

Link stays silent, even as she gives his hair another tug. He tries to defend himself by putting his hands up to his head.

"Let me see the pearls."

Link tries to shake his head, breathing speeding up, but Kevum pays no mind to that, and instead takes it upon herself to forcefully rip the bracelet from Link's hair. She holds it above her head proudly, tilting her head to fully examine it.

"You know, pearls are pretty rare around here. They could fetch a nice price."

Oh no.

Just like that, all hell breaks loose. Girls are climbing over each other, trying to reach the bracelet, pulling at it, juggling it around, and Link wishes to any goddess that can hear him to give him a voice, but it's too late – the bracelet snaps.

Pearls fall to the floor, and each bead that falls sound like bombs exploding in Link's ears. He watches in horror as the prince's gift shatters before him and the girls scurry together to try to catch at least one of the fallen pearls.

Link can't watch. He can't stand there and watch as his precious pearls are grabbed at and handled in that way. While he is heartbroken, he's also enraged – a rage he has never felt before. Furiously, with a tear streaming down his face, he manages to grab a few of the fallen pearls, and retreats into the safety of his room.

He slams the door, hugging the surviving pearls close to his heart. Link turns his back to the door and slides to the ground as air seems miles away.

Is he... choking? He gasps for oxygen, tears welling up in his eyes as his hands go numb, causing him to drop the pearls. The voe desperately grabs them and crawls to his pile of luxurious cushions where he could safely grab his Sheikah slate.

To calm himself from his panic attack, he shifts through pictures. Pictures of his time in Zora's Domain, and that single picture of Sidon. Damn, why did he only get one picture? While this one soothed him for the time being, it still wasn't enough. He hopes that he won't forget Sidon, and that prince Sidon won't soon forget him.

Link wipes his tears and hugs the slate close to his chest as his eyes grow heavy. He stands and hides the pearls in his vanity before he crashes onto his pillows.

-

The next morning, Link wakes up with a tight chest. He winces as he stretches, and looks down at the Sheikah slate, having Sidon being the first thing he sees as he wakes up. The thought makes him smile, and he closes the picture and shuts the slate off to preserve it.

Although he's starving, he doesn't dare leave his room in fear of running into Kevum again.

At least in his room he can safely undress into something more comfortable – he wasn't able to last night. He takes one of his old hair ties and sadly ties his hair back in a loose tail with an exhausted sigh. Link braces himself against his vanity set, eyes locked on his reflection in the mirror. He can see the sadness in his eyes, the frustration in the way his eyebrows knit forward.

There's a knock at the door, and Link hides under his blanket on his makeshift bed. It's the headmistress.

"Link? Are you okay dear?" she asks as she opens the door. "I heard about last night. Don't worry, Kevum will pay for this. I'm giving her cleanup duty for the rest of the week."

Like that hardly pays for what she's done, Link wishes to say.

"How are you holding up?"

Link shrugs his shoulders.

"I figured as much. Anyway, the real reason I came here – you have a letter." She waves an envelope in her hand with a grin. "From Zora's Domain, too. Bet it's from that prince. You made quite an impression it seems."

Link's eyes brighten as he's handed the letter. The headmistress seems just as excited for him. He's never gotten a letter before. He envied all the girls that got letters from their families and loved ones. He's never had the pleasure of reading a letter before! He slides a finger across the envelope to open it.

'My dear desert flower,

I write to you with an offer. I'm hoping to contact your mistress in order to request you return to Zora's Domain, this time for longer than one night. I want you to make memories to keep with you, enough to last you a lifetime. I'd be honored if you joined me for a week here at the domain. Please consider it.

Sincerely yours, Prince Sidon'

Link can hardly believe his eyes as he reads the letter. Even in ink and paper, Sidon sounds so polite and charming.

"Well, precious, what does it say?"

Link blinks a few times in disbelief before handing her the paper.

"Desert flower? Oh please," she snickers. "Hm. It's definitely something to consider. I don't know what I'd do around here without my star..."

Link clasps his hands together in a praying motion and mouths the word 'please' desperately.

The mistress hums in thought. "How does a week sound?"

Link nods furiously, sitting up on his knees. She laughs lightly at his eagerness. "It's settled, then. You leave tomorrow morning."

-

Link is escorted to Zora's Domain. He packed lightly, but the most important things, he carried on his person – the Sheikah slate at his hip, and the last of the pearls in a pouch safely tucked away behind the slate.

While his horse is being led by his escort, Link looks through pictures on his slate.

He comes across the unfamiliar picture again. Link squints as he tries to get a closer look through the fog. In the distance, he can see a figure in the density. Zora, obviously, but this figure is a bit shorter than Link. Before he can investigate further, Link's horse stops, and he looks up from the slate after hooking it back to his hip. He can't hold back the fond smile pulling at his lips as he looks up at the tall domain.

"Link!"

The Hylian looks down from the domain, and running toward him is prince Sidon himself. In his excitement, Link dismounts his horse and meets Sidon halfway. He leaps into the Zora's open arms as the prince lifts him by his hips.

"I am so grateful that you took up my offer," Sidon pants as he sets Link down after a bit of a twirl. "I was worried that I would never get the pleasure of seeing you again."

Link shakes his head and smiles. He reaches a hand to tenderly touch Sidon's cheek. In turn, Sidon turns his head to lightly kiss Link's wrist.

"My pearl, I've had your room set up. I'll escort you to drop your belongings off, and then perhaps we can continue that swimming lesson?" Sidon suggests hopefully.

To his pleasure, Link nods his head, smiling beneath his veil. Sidon clasps his hands around Link's. "Astounding! Then, please accompany me."

The Zora prince loosely holds onto Link's tiny hand as he leads them away.

-

The room Link stayed in hasn't changed. It's still just as clean, just as large, and just as welcoming.

Link lifts his bag onto the bed, and when he opens it, Sidon notices something.

"My dear, your hair," he questions lightly. "Did they not let you keep it...?"

Link knows he's referring to the missing bracelet that held his ponytail up. The boy bites his lip as he pulls out the pouch with the last of the pearls in it and cups his hand to pour out the contents. Three shining pearls spill into his cupped hand, and Sidon sighs. "I see it didn't last. But that's alright! Perhaps in your stay here I can get a replacement."

Link looks up at the prince and vigorously shakes his head as he removes his veil.

"I understand you don't want it to break again. There must be something..."

While Sidon was stuck in thought about what he could possibly give Link as a gift, the Hylian reaches for his slate. While Sidon is distracted, Link points the camera toward the prince, and...

Snap.

Another picture saved.

Sidon's expression brightens when he realizes what Link has done.

"Pictures! Of course! Indestructible, and sentimental. You're very clever."

Proudly, Link nods his head and sets the slate back on the bed.

"Oh, how could I forget. You need not wear a disguise here. You're safe. I've provided a change of clothes. These should be a bit more fitting than last time. And they're easy to swim in." Sidon flashes a smile. "I'll let you get changed, then, and we'll decide what to do first. Take your time, dear, I'll be outside waiting."

Link lets Sidon leave the room, the door lightly closing behind the prince. He lets out a breath of relief that he had nothing to hide, and turns to face the bed once more.

Blue is the color of the shirt that Sidon has chosen. Link holds it up – it certainly will be a better fit. Zora are much larger, he's learned. Except for that mysterious Zora girl in the picture on his Sheikah slate. Well, she'd have to remain a mystery for now, Link decides as he changes into his borrowed clothes.

After he's changed, Link leaves his room to join Sidon outside.

This is the first time he's able to walk freely without fear of a disguise being seen through. The thought makes him a little shy, and Sidon immediately senses this.

"You look lovely," he encourages. "Especially when it looks like a burden has been lifted from your spirits. Now, what would you like to do first?"

Link hums for a moment, and makes a swimming gesture.

"Swimming? Divine! We leave at once."

With a sheepish smile, Link holds onto Sidon's arm, their difference in size making the hold easy and comfortable.

Sidon leads Link through corridors until they arrive at the entrance to Zora's Domain. But something catches Link's attention.

A statue sits tall, overlooking the Zora in the center of the room like some sort of guardian. Link has to squint to get a better look at the statue's face, and he stops walking, giving a tug to pull Sidon to a halt.

"Hm? What is it?"

Link lets go of Sidon's arm for a moment as he mindlessly wanders toward the statue to get a closer look.

"My sister, Mipha," Sidon says with a saddened smile. "She passed away when I was very, very young. My parents and our people adored her."

Link feels an aching in his chest as he looks at the sweet, pure expression on the statue's face.

"Are you alright? You look like you're about to cry."

Not even realizing it, Link's eyes had definitely welled up, but he nods his head regardless and forces a smile as he wipes his face with the back of his hand. He reaches to take Sidon's arm again, giving the prince a signal that it was okay to move on.

-

The spring is a little cool. The water is crystal clear as ever, and Link wonders how. All the water in Gerudo Town is a bit foggy, and leaves much to be desired. But the water in Zora's Domain is pure and clear and... cool. Link shivers lightly as the wind hits his back.

"Ah, is it too cold for you?" Sidon asks as he looks over his shoulder.

Link is holding onto Sidon's back as the Zora guides them through the water, using his legs and fins to keep them moving at a light pace in a circle around the spring. The boy just smiles and shakes his head, willing to endure it if it means he gets to learn to swim.

"If you insist. Well, you seem to have floating down. Why not try this – lightly kick your feet, and push us forward."

With a nod, Link pushes them forward with a kick of his feet.

"Amazing! You learn fast, don't you?"

Link laughs breathlessly, almost near a whisper. Even though it was quiet, Sidon's eyes light up.

"Such a lovely laugh..." he sighs. "I hope to hear you laugh more as the week passes." The prince clears his throat. "Anyway, would you like to try going under the surface? I imagine that would be the hardest part, so if you're unsure-"

Before Sidon can even finish, Link has taken it upon himself to take a deep breath and let go of Sidon. He starts to sink below the surface, until he uses his arms and legs to keep himself afloat while he opens his eyes, meeting Sidon at eye-level.

It's almost like an instinct kicked in – Link was actually swimming and they had only just begun the lessons.

The thought that maybe he had known how to swim before he lost his memories made him question that much more about who he used to be.

Running low on air, Link points up, and the pair surface. Link gasps a bit as he breaks the surface of the water, not quite used to holding his breath for that long.

Sidon smiles, showing off his rows of teeth. "I'm so proud of you! You did that all on your own!"

Link nods his head as he flips his hair from his face.

"But, my dear, your lips... they're blue. We should get you back to your room so you can warm up some."

-

Link is a shivering mess all the way back to his room. Sidon has to swoop him off his feet and carry him to his room because he's walking too slow.

In his room, Link stands by his bed, and he strips from his wet shirt. He hugs himself as Sidon kindly puts a blanket over his shoulders.

Sidon uses the blanket to start drying Link's hair. "I can tell you don't like being cold," Sidon speaks softly.

Link shakes his head with a disappointed sigh.

His first memories are of the cold desert night. He doesn't want to feel that cold ever again.

"I assure you, you'll be warm here," Sidon says as he places a careful hand on Link's shoulder, letting the blanket fall a bit. The Zora's hand is so massive that it practically covers the entirety of Link's shoulder.

Sidon's touch does feel warm and soothing against his skin, Link decides.

Carefully, Sidon's hand raises to tenderly cup Link's cheek as he leans down. Link watches the Zora's movements carefully.

Their lips meet slowly. Link naturally closes his eyes and presses his lips back against Sidon's, until the prince dared to deepen the kiss by letting his slithery tongue ghost over Link's lips.

That's when Sidon pulls back, his lips still itching to capture Link's once more.

"S-sorry," he whispers breathlessly. "I don't quite know what came over me. I suppose that's been building up for a while. I hope I didn't offend you in any way, I-"

Link furiously shakes his head and holds onto the hand against his cheek.

Sidon's expression turns soft, and he leans forward to press a fond kiss to the top of Link's head. "My desert rose, your company has made my heart soar in ways I never imagined. I hope you don't hold it against me that I did that. Please understand..."

With a grunt, Link pulls himself up, letting the blanket over his shoulders fall to the floor as he wraps both arms around Sidon to pull him into another kiss – this time just to shut the prince up.

When they separate, Sidon grins. "So you... feel as I do," he concludes. "I am constantly amazed by you, dear Link."

Link returns the affectionate words with a soft, sweet smile of his own.

There's a knock at the door, and Link takes a step back away from Sidon, picking the blanket off the floor.

"Prince Sidon, your father requests your presence in the throne room," speaks the guard on the other side of the door.

"Yes, of course. I'll be there shortly!"

"It's urgent, do make haste."

Sidon rolls his golden eyes and laughs.

"Duty calls, my dear. I'll come back to you soon." Sidon places a farewell kiss atop Link's head, drawing forth a sigh and tired smile from the little Hylian. "Get warmed up, I'll be back before you know it."