Summary: A tragic event forces Mipha to become Zora ruler much sooner than expected.

What Link remembered afterward was how quickly it had happened. It was all fun and happiness one minute, and tragedy the next.

Mipha, Link, and the children were all together, swimming at East Reservoir Lake. Everyone was having fun in the water playing tag or racing each other when four Zora guards came running to the pier. Two of them dove into the water and raced over to Mipha.

"Lady Mipha," said one of the guards, "you and your family need to come with us at once."

"What is it?" said Mipha.

"Something has happened to His Majesty," said the guard. "Please come at once."

They all rushed out of the water.

"It might be best if two of us take the children home, Lady Mipha," said the guard in charge.

"Alright, if you think it best. But what happened to my father? Is he alright?" said Mipha.

"I do not know Lady Mipha," said the guard. "We were ordered to bring your family to safety and return with you to the Domain."

"Mila and Midon," said Mipha. "Dad and I need to help with something. These guards will take you home."

When they got back to the Domain, it was clear something was terribly wrong. All the guards were on a high state of alert. One of the Council of Elders, Edra, met Mipha and Link as they entered the Domain. Two guards had left with the children, but two remained with Mipha.

"l am very sorry, Lady Mipha, to have to tell you this," said Edra. "A short time ago, His Majesty suffered a fatal wound in a Yiga Clan attack."

"Oh, no, no, no! Not Father!" Mipha cried out.

Link put his arm around her.

"Where is he? Is Sidon alright?" said Mipha.

"This way," said Edra. "Prince Sidon is safe and unharmed."

It was a short walk to one of the upper levels. King Dorephan's body lay on the pathway near the east bridge, several wounds clearly visible. Sidon was there, and he rushed over to Mipha when he saw her and they hugged each other.

"Sis, he sacrificed himself for me," Sidon said between sobs.

Mipha tried to console Sidon as they hugged each other, and Link started to look around. There had evidently been a battle here, and from the four sets of Yiga Clan weapons on the ground, it was clear that four Yiga Clan warriors had been destroyed. Link approached Edra.

"What happened?" said Link.

"His Majesty and Prince Sidon were walking along here when four Yiga Clan warriors attacked. The two royal guards with them prepared to defend everyone, but His Majesty ordered them to take Prince Sidon to safety, which they did. Apparently, His Majesty was able to defeat three of the Yiga Clan warriors on his own, but a returning guard saw the fourth deliver a fatal stab to His Majesty's back. The guard destroyed the fourth Yiga Clan warrior with a spear throw, but it was too late. His Majesty died instantly."

"Thank you," said Link. As if he didn't already hate the Yiga Clan for all the suffering they had caused, this was even more personal. He would never forget this attack on his family. He returned to Mipha and Sidon. It was hard to find the right thing to say, but he hugged them both.

"Sidon, whatever happened was not your fault. Our father always promised to take care of us, and that is what he was doing. We will all have to do some growing up sooner than we expected, but I will take care of you from now on," said Mipha. "Come home with us. I need to tell the children."

"Lady Mipha," said Edra. "I'm sorry. I know this is hardly the best time for this, but although your public coronation can come later, our law requires that I administer the royal oath as soon as possible."

"I understand," said Mipha. "Can we do it now?"

"Yes, I am authorized by the Council to do so in such circumstances," said Edra. "Just repeat after me."

I, Mipha, Princess of the Zora, being next in the line of Zora royal succession, do solemnly swear before Nayru to govern and protect the Zora People and to uphold their laws and customs to the best of my ability as Queen of the Zora.

"Your Majesty," said Edra, "You are now officially Zora Queen." He bowed his head, and the guards with him did the same. Seeing this Link and Sidon also bowed.

"Please rise, all of you," said Mipha. "I need to get home and be with the children. Can we be sure the Domain is safe now?"

"Your Majesty," said Edra, "Your home is here now. We will bring the children to you. They will also need additional protection now. The captain of the guards has put everyone on high alert. We believe we are safe. It was apparently an isolated attack."

Link remembered from his citizenship studies the line of succession. Mila was next in line for the throne after Mipha, but since she was not an adult yet, the law would look to see if Prince Sidon was of age. If he were, then Sidon would become interim ruler until Mila came of age. If Sidon were too young, then the Council of Elders would elect one of their members as interim ruler until Sidon came of age, and he would rule until Mila came of age. Anyway, none of that mattered as long as Mipha was alive. And he was going to stay by her side every chance he could. He had once been the appointed knight of a different princess, and now he would be the unofficially appointed knight of his wife and Queen.

"Very well, please have the children brought here," said Mipha. "I need to speak with them as their mother."

"Of course, Your Majesty," said the guard captain. She and another guard went to fetch the children.

Link was still somewhat unclear what he could do. His primary duty now was to care for his family and support Mipha as much as he could. This could not come easy for her, coping with the loss of her last living parent and at the same time being expected to assume the role of Zora leader with all that entailed.

"Mipha, let me know what I can do," said Link.

"Why don't you speak to Edra about taking care of my father's remains," said Mipha. "We are all safe here now."

Link found Edra talking to another council member and excused himself for interrupting but wondered what was happening to King Dorephan's body.

"We have already taken care of that, Link," said Edra. "We were sure Her Majesty would want to see where he fell in battle, but we will take care of everything now. He will be given a royal funeral, and his body will rest with the other royalty in the Zora Royal Crypt."

"Zora Royal Crypt?" said Link. "I don't think I have ever seen that."

"No, you need to travel through an underwater cave to reach it, and you would not be able to hold your breath long enough," said Edra. "However, we will supply you with a breathing apparatus when you need to visit it. There is one other thing you can help with, perhaps. Word of the tragedy is spreading, and we need Her Majesty to reassure everyone. Perhaps you could let her know? I think she could address the people assembled in the plaza."

"Of course," said Link.

Link went back to be with Mipha, and when he arrived Mila, Midon and Sidon were all together there. Mipha had an arm each around Mila and Midon and was speaking to the three of them.

"I know this is very hard for all of us, suddenly losing a loving father and grandfather," said Mipha. "But I know he would want all of us to be strong now and honor him by living up to what would make him proud, and that is that each of us will do their duty as members of the Royal Family. Being part of this family carries with it that responsibility. We owe that to our people, and our people come first. For you, Mila and Midon, it just means you will be guarded more closely, but you will still go to school and play as always. For you, dear brother, it means you will have to start training sooner than expected to become our next Champion. But I am here for you and will help you. And Link will also do what he can for all of us. We can all get through this if we work hard and help each other. I need to go now and speak to our people."

Mipha then went with Link back to the throne room. People were milling around the plaza as news of what had happened spread.

"Mipha, can I help in any way?" said Link. "I should tell you that I am not leaving your side now. Think of me as your appointed knight. But can I do anything else?"

"No, just stay with me," said Mipha. "I need to be strong for our people, but I am still crying inside. I will need your shoulder to cry on sometimes. But not now."

Mipha then asked to meet privately with the two Royal Guards who had been with her father when he was attacked. They entered the throne room and bowed. Then Mipha addressed them.

"I know you feel terrible about what happened, but I want to say to you that you should not blame yourselves. You did as my father ordered. You brought Prince Sidon to safety exactly as he wished. Then you returned to defeat the remaining warrior. Had I been attacked while with Princess Mila or Prince Midon, I would ask of you the same thing. I want you to remain as two of my personal guards, and I thank you for keeping my brother safe."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said one of the guards. "We appreciate you taking the time to think of us in this time of grief. We do feel bad and wish we could have saved both His Majesty and Prince Sidon. But as with any of your Royal Guards, we will give our lives to protect Your Majesty and your family."

"I know," said Mipha. "And I am forever thankful for your protection."

The guards then bowed and left. But word eventually spread among the guards about how considerate Her Majesty had been in her time of loss to think of their colleagues' feelings. Her reputation for kindness only grew.

Mipha instructed one of the Royal Guards to let people know she would like them to come to the throne room so she could speak to them. When everyone was assembled, she began.

By now, all of you have heard of the tragic death of my beloved father and our King. He fell in battle, thinking nothing of his own safety but only of protecting his son. He will be remembered as the loving and courageous ruler he was. But as we grieve for our loss and honor his memory, we need to move forward. And it has fallen upon me to fulfill now the duty I was born to and serve as your next ruler. This is a task that has come sooner than I would have wished but a responsibility I have prepared for and embrace now with confidence and with love for all of you. I promise you I will do my best to be the ruler you deserve, and with your help, our Domain will remain the strong and beautiful shining jewel of Hyrule it has always been.

When she was finished, all assembled bowed their head in respect.

"Thank you," said Mipha. "Please go home now and be with your families."

The crowd filed out of the throne room. Mipha spoke to Edra.

"Edra, could you have the council send word of my father's passing to the rulers of the other races?" said Mipha. "But I owe King Rhoam a personal note as I know he and my father were friends for many years, and he will feel his loss personally."

"Of course, Your Majesty," said Edra bowing. Then he left the room.

"Link, perhaps you could help me write the note to King Rhoam," said Mipha. "I still have trouble accepting this, and writing will only make me cry again."

"Of course," said Link. "I'll take care of it. I'll sit and write it right now."

To His Majesty the King of Hyrule,

I am very sorry to share with you the sad news of my father, King Dorephan's death. He died in battle, defending his family. I know you were friends for many years. A service for him will take place at Zora's Domain in three days.

Yours faithfully,

Mipha

Queen of the Zora

The family gathered together afterward. A meal was arranged by Edra for all of them, but it was a very quiet get together. Link felt saying anything about King Dorephan would only cause Mipha to break down and cry again. He could tell Mipha and Sidon were already having difficulty holding back tears, and Sidon and Mipha hugged each other after dinner.

News soon reached the rest of Hyrule, and letters of sympathy began arriving. The leaders of each race sent a formal response. But each Champion, Princess Zelda, and King Rhoam sent Mipha a personal letter of sympathy. Link read through each of them with Mipha and kept them all together.

Finally, the day of King Dorephan's funeral arrived. King Rhoam himself attended along with Princess Zelda and a representative of each race, in this case, the Champions. King Rhoam had asked if he could speak at the ceremony, and Mipha asked if Link would mind saying something to represent the family. Speaking was not Link's strength, but he would do anything for Mipha.

The ceremony was in the plaza, and needless to say, the Domain was overflowing with people. King Dorephan's body lay inside a sealed silver coffin with a single Luminous Stone on top crafted in a crown's shape. After the ceremony, his coffin would be moved to an underwater crypt where the remains of Zora rulers were entombed. Only those charged with conveying the coffin to the tomb and the Royal Family members would attend that last step.

King Rhoam would speak first, and then Link would follow.

On behalf of the Hyrule Royal Family, I extend my deepest condolences to Queen Mipha and her family. If there is anything I can do, I hope they will not hesitate to ask. And I extend my sympathy to all of you on our loss of a great and noble ruler.

I first met King Dorephan when I was still a prince, and my father wished me to journey from home and see Hyrule for myself. I remember my first visit to your beautiful Domain. I was a young man then, still learning about the various places in Hyrule. King Dorephan was already King then, and he welcomed me like a friend. He told me everything he could about the Domain and discussed its history with me. He used to joke about my name and liked to call me Prince RBH. He said my middle name, Bosphoramus, sounded like a whirlpool. Of course, I knew he was teasing me. After I became King, he would sometimes write to me and offer suggestions, many of which proved valuable to me. He said I could always count on him for support and friendship. And I said the same to him. He was a great friend and mentor for many years, and I will miss him. May his spirit rest in peace.

Next, it was Link's turn.

It is my honor now to speak on behalf of my family. King Dorephan was a kind, loving father and grandfather who would always make time from his duties for us. And right to the end of his life, he put his family's welfare ahead of his own. But his love for his family went beyond his immediate family to include all of you. He believed his subjects were his family too, and I often heard him speak so at council meetings or elsewhere. Always he had the well-being of us, his people, first in his thoughts. To me, personally, he was kind and gracious. I used to be afraid of him. To anyone who didn't know him, he could be quite an imposing figure. And in those early days when I spent so much time with the daughter he loved so much, I feared he would be stern with me for thinking myself worthy of her attention. I tried to avoid him when I could. But he was actually never as I feared. He was willing to overlook our differences and allow me, a Hylian, to marry his daughter and be part of his family. And he treated me like a son from the very first, a father to me who had lost his own father when very young. I will miss his friendly chuckle when we spoke, his kindness and his love. I pray to Nayru that his spirit will have peace.

Next, a Zora priest said a few words, praying for his spirit. And as he spoke, everyone was silent and bowed their head in a final gesture to their beloved King. Then the ceremony was over. Link, Mipha, Sidon, Mila, and Midon accompanied the casket as it was lowered to the water below the Domain. Link was given a breathing apparatus, and they all dove underwater. They moved slowly to a cave Link had never noticed before carved into the side of the rock wall underwater. Luminous Stones illuminated the inside of the cave, and as he passed through, he could see the places marked where past Zora rulers and their spouses were buried. As they swam further into the cave, he suddenly realized that being Mipha's husband, he could well end up here, too. Eventually, they reached the place reserved for King Dorephan. The guards maneuvered the coffin into the open space provided and then sealed it with a stone slab that had his name carved into it. There was a moment for the family to pay their last respects, then they all swam out of the cave and back to the surface.

As they swam back and Link thought about everything that had happened, he recalled something Purah had once told him about time travel. She said time travel is an awesome responsibility and should be done only under the direst circumstances and for the most critical of reasons. Because while you think you're making things better, she said, they never turn out better for everyone. And you need to live with that. King Dorephan was a case in point. In Link's original timeline, he had survived another hundred years to see his son grow up to be a young man but also to suffer the loss of his daughter. In this timeline, his daughter survived, and he lived to see two grandchildren, but his son was still young, and he died a much younger person. In one timeline, a father lost his daughter. In the other, a son and daughter lost their father.

They arrived back at the plaza, and King Rhoam had to leave, but he stopped by to say a few words to Mipha and Link.

"I am very sorry for your loss. And I meant what I said," said King Rhoam. "Please let me know if I can help in any way. And as Queen now, please don't hesitate to ask me anything if you feel you could use some advice about ruling a kingdom. It would please me to know I could repay in even a little way your father's mentoring of me in my early days as King."

"I will, Your Majesty," said Mipha. "And thank you for coming."

Zelda and the Champions were together in the plaza, and Link and Mipha went over to them now. Zelda hugged Mipha while each of the rest extended their sympathy.

"What my father said goes for me as well, Your Majesty," said Zelda. "Please let me know if there is anything I can do. I'm sorry Rudin couldn't attend, but all three of us could not be away together at the same time. I hope you understand. But he sends his sympathies as well."

"I will and I do," said Mipha. "And please call me Mipha. We have been friends too long to be using titles. Will you all stay for a meal? It is customary to have a large open banquet for everyone afterward."

Everyone agreed they would stay. It was a chance to catch up.

Soon tables were set up, and then dishes of food were brought out. Several pots were set up to cook the food for those who wanted it cooked. Merchants had used the three days before the funeral to stock up on things, all paid for by the Royal Family. There were several varieties of fish, some crabs, rice, and an assortment of vegetables. There were also some meat dishes provided with visitors in mind. And there was even a tray of rocks that Link had asked specifically to be delivered when he heard Daruk would be attending. Mipha needed to take care of some duties and excused herself while Link stood with Zelda and the other three Champions.