Summary: Queen Sopha pledges loyalty to Hyrule and her Sheikah share some of their technology. Zelda begins plans for Hyrule's transformation to a technological civilization. Mila gets some social competition.

Mipha had spent the whole day in meetings, including updating Sidon on the events yesterday at Hyrule Castle concerning Queen Sopha. She was looking forward to being done for the day. Her last scheduled meeting was with Larah, the Captain of the Royal Guard. Larah had been promoted to Captain two years ago when the prior captain retired.

"Your Majesty, you wished to see me?" said Larah.

"Yes, thank you Larah, it's about Mila and Midon," said Mipha. "They're getting to the age where they are starting to have a boyfriend or girlfriend, and they feel the presence of guards detracts from their 'special moments' as my eldest daughter put it. Is there anything you can do to give them more privacy without compromising their safety?"

"I understand," said Larah. "We can try to be less visible, much as we are when you visit Castle Town. And if we can assure their safety without having to see them directly, that would also work for us. Maybe you could ask them to either stay inside the Domain or go places where there is very restricted access. Then we don't need to watch them directly and can watch the access points. But from the reports, they spend most of their time with groups of friends. The few times one of them goes off alone with someone they just sit together talking or go for walks or swims, things like that. We try to let them feel as private as possible, but we do need to be very sure they're safe. Is there anything you wish to know?"

"No," said Mipha. "I would just like them to have as normal an adolescent experience as possible under the circumstances. But I appreciate the difficult assignment you and your guards have, and I am very grateful for all you do. Thank you."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Larah. "It is an honor to be a member of the Royal Guards. I will discuss with the other guards about some ways we can be less intrusive."

Larah bowed and then withdrew. Link was at the foot of the stairs talking to one of the guards. Mipha walked downstairs, and when Link was done speaking, she approached him.

"Feel like taking a walk with me? I need to get out and don't feel like a swim right now. How about the Upland Zorana area? We haven't walked there in a while."

"Of course, my dearest, sweetest Mipha," said Link. "You know I love taking walks with you."

"You're in a lovely mood!" laughed Mipha. "Such a sweet reply. It makes me want to swim with you after all."

Mipha notified the guards, then Link and Mipha dove down to the lower level of the Domain, then headed north to the two waterfalls. The swam up both waterfalls then held hands as they headed southwest. The weather was mild, light clouds, with rain expected in the evening.

"You had a busy day, huh? But you are getting more efficient," said Link. "At the beginning, you were putting in terribly long hours. I understand the situation was difficult back then. Actually, that was thoughtless of me even to bring it up. Sorry."

"No, it's alright, sweetheart," said Mipha. "I know what you mean. But I needed to get away now, and we need to make time for each other, too. We used to take walks all over the Domain when we were younger. It was one way we grew closer. Speaking of being close, I spoke to Larah about our older two, and she'll see if they can give them a bit more privacy while still making sure they're safe."

"I hope that works for them," said Link. "And Mila assured me she could deal with things."

"I think she can, too," said Mipha. "But they both had their growth spurt earlier than most, so they're on the young side still, and any boyfriend or girlfriend is undoubtedly older. I wonder if that's the Hylian influence on them?"

There were many small hills and rock outgrowths in Upland Zorana, and their walk took them between them. It was when they approached one of the hills that had some Luminous Stones at its base that Link suddenly started feeling unsettled, the feeling he had when he was about to have a flashback. He hadn't had a flashback in some time, but one was happening now.

"Wait, I'm remembering something here," Link said.

They both stopped walking, and Link closed his eyes. Then the memory came to him.

Mipha and I were walking along this very path. I was a young teenager, and we were stopping every now and then to collect Luminous Stones. We both enjoyed collecting them, I recall, and I felt good being with Mipha. We came upon the stones here.

"Princess, do you mind if I chip off some more stones?" I said.

"I don't mind at all, I like them too," said Mipha. "But be careful of the rock splinters."

I chipped at the stones, and some fragments fell to the ground. I started gathering them up when I noticed one piece had broken off in the shape of a small heart. I picked it up and looked at it, amazed. I had seen many random shapes before from pieces of Luminous Stones I chipped off, but never a heart. Then I thought of Mipha and the fact she liked the stones too. I turned to her.

"Princess, would you like this?" I said, offering her the heart-shaped stone." It looks exceptional."

"Why yes, thank you!" said Mipha. "Imagine a piece breaking off like that! I take it as a good omen. But can you please try to remember to call me Mipha? I like hearing you say my name."

I felt myself turning a little red.

"Alright, Mipha, I'll try," I said.

"That's better!" said Mipha. "It will be fun to see how it looks at night. Come on."

The memory ended. Link was staring vacantly with his mouth open.

"The luminous stone," he said finally. "I gave it to you here."

"So, you finally remembered?" said Mipha. "It was a long time ago, but I still have that stone."

"I'm glad I remembered," said Link

"So am I," said Mipha. "I really did think it was a good omen, and I was right. You were so shy, and you kept calling me 'princess' no matter how many times I asked you to use my name. I thought you liked me, but either out of shyness or my being a princess, you couldn't bring yourself to express your feelings. We grew closer, and I felt you would open up soon, but then the sword came along. And, well, we already talked about all that."

They reached for each other, hugged and kissed.

"How many other sweet moments did we share that I've forgotten?" said Link.

"If you ask me, lots," said Mipha. "Maybe someday you'll remember more of them. But what matters is we're together now. We can still make new moments."

Link bent down, chipped at one of the Luminous Stones and collected the fragments.

"Sorry, no heart this time," said Link examining the pieces.

"Of course not," said Mipha. "You have my heart, and I have yours now. We don't need another stone one."

Then they kissed again.

"We should do this more often," said Link.

"Kiss or take walks?" laughed Mipha.

"Well, both," laughed Link. "But if I have to give up one I'll skip the walks. I love you so much."

"And I love you, too," said Mipha. "But we should be getting back. You recovered a nice memory today, and I'm happy about that. I can show you the stone later."

They held hands again as they headed back toward the Domain. They reached the first of two waterfalls and dove together into the water below. Then Mipha faced him, took his hand and with her other hand gently started scraping the points of her nails across his neck and upper back.

"Keep doing that, and I won't be able to wait for us to get back," said Link moaning.

"That's fine," said Mipha. "There is a lot of privacy in waterfalls."

They kissed, and then he pulled her to him, and they made love just behind the waterfall. It really was pretty private, he thought. Afterward, they relaxed in the spray and laughed as it splashed all over them.

"Thanks for a nice walk Your Majesty," said Link laughing between splashes of water across his face.

"It's all your fault," said Mipha between splashes. "It must have been your memory recovery. Thinking about that made me sentimental, and then my emotions moved on from there. But ending up in water always makes things better, don't you agree?

"Being in the water with you is always the best part of my day, even my life," said Link laughing.

"Spoken like a true Zora," laughed Mipha. "Now we really should get back."

When they got back to the throne room, there was a letter waiting for Mipha with the Hyrule Royal Insignia on the envelope. Mipha opened it, read it, then handed it to Link to read.

Your Majesty Queen Mipha,

Queen Sopha has contacted me, and we have agreed to meet at Hyrule Castle in one week. Her legal advisor, Lagon, Sheikah technology expert, Fandra, and her youngest sister, Princess Tila, are all coming as well. Sopha expects to take the oath of loyalty when here and her land will become part of our kingdom. We propose to name that region North Hyrule.

She writes that she and Princess Tila would like to visit you at Zora's Domain afterward if that is acceptable to you, and asked if I would please convey her message.

Sincerely,

Zelda

Queen of Hyrule

Mipha wrote to Zelda confirming Sopha's and Tila's visit was acceptable.

"That's it," said Mipha. "That's my last official act of the day. Let's go see how Lapha and Link are. I'm sure Mila and Midon are out with friends."

They found Lapha and Linky in the plaza, and Linky was cooking a fish.

"Hi Mom and Dad," said Linky. "Laff and I got hungry waiting for you, so Laff caught some fish."

"That's fine," said Link. "I didn't know you could cook."

"I watched you," said Linky.

"We can still eat together," said Mipha. "Dad and I will just get two fish from the market, and we can sit in one of the gazebos. I'm sorry we took so long today. Have you seen Mila or Midon?"

"They're having an evening party with friends up at the Lake," said Lapha. "Midon brought his music player. And Uncle Sidon is up there, too. He left after they did and said he wanted to check on Ruta, but I think that was his way of keeping a click on them."

The four of them had dinner together then headed home, at which point Lapha wanted to speak with Link.

"Dad, have time to talk?" said Lapha.

"Always, sweetheart," said Link.

She was still a little girl by Zora standards. She came over and sat on his lap. Given how fast the time like this with Mila and Midon had passed, he did not want to miss any opportunities to be close to Lapha. He put his arm around her and kissed her on the cheek. She smiled.

"You know I play with Linky a lot, but he's growing up so much faster than me," said Lapha. "What's going to happen when we're Mila's and Midon's age?"

That was a good question, thought Link. At eighteen or so Linky would be a Hylian adult, but Lapha would still be a child by their standards. Linky might want to leave the Domain and find a career at that point. Link's first instinct was to put the issue off by saying that was a long time from now. But then he had to remember that it really wasn't a long time for a Zora. They had a different perspective on time given their longevity. Nine years to him might feel like two years to a Zora: not all that far off from their viewpoint.

"I don't know," said Link. "It's a good question. We Hylians do grow up faster so it would be normal for him to look for a career around that time or a little later, though of course, he is always welcome to stay here as long as he wants. I guess you're worried you will miss him?"

"Yes," said Lapha. "And who will take care of him in the water?"

"Well, we don't know the future," said Link. "Maybe he will decide to stay here in the Domain longer than we think or even permanently. Or maybe he will return to visit us often. By then you will have other interests, too. It's just part of life, Lapha. All I can say is enjoy your time together now and stay close. I am sure he will miss you, too, and want to see you. And hopefully, he learns to take care of himself in the water as best he can. We Hylians don't spend as much time in the water as you do."

"It still makes me feel sad, Dad," said Lapha. "Mom told me you grew up very fast, too. She was surprised how much you changed between visits."

"Yes, it's just the way things are," said Link. "You Zoras are gifted with the longest life of any of the races in Hyrule. But try not to worry about the future, just enjoy the present. From Linky's point of view, nine years is a long time. I'm sure he isn't even thinking about what he will do then yet. He's still enjoying childhood and so should you."

"Do you like living with us Zoras, Dad? Do you miss the company of Hylians?" asked Lapha.

Mila used to ask him the same thing.

"I love living here," said Link. "The people here treat me with kindness and respect. And I found the truest love anyone could hope for here, and nothing in Hyrule could make me happier. Having four wonderful children with the most caring and loving wife is more than anyone could wish for. I have truly been blessed by Hylia, and I give thanks every day. So, I never think about Hylians or missing their company. I am delighted being here with my family. And besides, I am proud to say I have the honor of being the worst swimmer in all of Zora's Domain. I would not want to lose that title."

Lapha laughed.

"You may be the worst swimmer, Dad, but you're the best Dad," said Lapha.

She kissed him and hopped off his lap. And that was another moment he wanted to remember.

Meanwhile, far away, Queen Sopha was beginning her trip to Hyrule Castle. Given the long journey from the North Akkala Sea, Sopha's party planned to travel by boat as far as Lanayru Bay. Then they would cross the Samasa Plain on foot. They would then use a smaller portable raft for the Sheikah member of their group who would ride on that, while the rest would swim to the castle starting from the Rutala River. They set out first thing in the morning. Their boat was more advanced than those used in Hyrule, and they made excellent time.

When Sopha and her party arrived at Hyrule Castle Moat in the early afternoon, the guards notified Zelda, who was, of course, expecting them. She and Prince Rudin went outside to greet them.

Upon meeting Zelda, Sopha and her party all dropped to one knee.

"Your Majesty," said Queen Sopha.

"Thank you, please rise," said Zelda. "Welcome to Hyrule Castle. My name is Zelda, and this is my husband, Prince Rudin."

Sopha and her party stood, and Sopha introduced everyone: Tila her youngest sister, Lagon her legal advisor, and Fandra, the lead Sheikah scientist.

Zelda was quite startled by Sopha's appearance. The reports from Link and Mipha about their trip to her Domain had mentioned Sopha was young to be Zora ruler, probably around Mipha's age, but not how striking she looked. Sopha was tall, her pigment a delicate light blue and her eyes a bright gold. And she had a very intense stare. Sopha could only be described as beautiful. And her sister, Tila, looked very much like her, just a younger version. Both Sopha and Tila wore a silver Zora royal headdress but inset with bright red coral as the jewels.

"You must be tired from your journey and possibly hungry as well," said Zelda. "I have set aside rooms for all of you, though I understand some of you may prefer to rest in the water. And I have a buffet lunch ready. I hope you are happy with the fish from these waters. We can talk business after we have had lunch."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," said Sopha. "Freshwater fish is perfectly fine. And your castle is most impressive."

After a few moments to get settled, guards escorted Sopha and her party to lunch. While the rest of the group was getting food, Zelda had a moment alone with Sopha.

"Sopha, you wrote that Tila is your youngest sister," said Zelda. "How many siblings do you have?"

"There is just the three of us," said Sopha. "My other younger sister, Faray, is in charge of our Domain in my absence. I thought it would be a good experience for Tila to see part of Hyrule with me. She is actually still very young by Zora standards having just gone through her growth spurt. A year ago, she could not have accompanied me."

"We have a nine-year-old daughter," said Zelda. "So, your youngest sister would be about 20 years old or so?"

"Yes, about that, maybe a little older," said Sopha. "We don't actually celebrate birthdays. But she would probably be more like a fourteen or fifteen-year-old in your years."

"The reason I ask is would you want your sister to stay for our meetings or could my daughter show her around the castle?" said Zelda.

"That would be very kind of you," said Sopha. "I'm sure Tila would prefer not sitting through meetings at this point."

"Fine, I will ask my daughter after lunch," said Zelda.

After lunch, Zelda's daughter arrived, and Zelda introduced her to everyone.

"What a beautiful and charming daughter you have!" said Sopha. "You must be very proud. But I learned of your daughter from Zala and thought perhaps she might like something you cannot get here. With your permission?"

"Yes, of course," said Zelda.

Sopha took out a small package and presented it to Zelda's daughter. She opened it and was evidently quite pleased. It was a gold chain with a bright red coral ornament.

"Oh, this is beautiful!" said young Zelda. "Thank you so much! I have never seen anything like this."

"That is very thoughtful of you, Sopha, thank you," said Zelda. "Zelda, would you mind showing Princess Tila around some of the castle while the rest of us meet?"

"Of course, Mom," said Zelda. "Princess Tila, would you come with me?"

"Thank you," said Tila. "I am so interested to see such a grand castle and learn how it must be for you to live here."

Tila, Zelda and a Royal Guard then left.

"Your headdress is stunning," said Zelda to Tila as they walked together. "Why do you use red coral?"

"Thank you," said Tila. "We are descended from sea Zora and always found coral to be very beautiful. The Zoras you may be familiar with are descended from freshwater Zora and were closer to the land. They prefer sapphires, which we also like since it is the gem of Nayru, but sapphires are not available in the sea. They also like Luminous Stones which are very rare in our land."

"Let me start by showing you my room," said Zelda. "Then we can decide what to do next."

After Tila left it was time to get down to business. The meeting was going to break into two.

"I think it best if my senior Sheikah scientist, Dr. Purah, and her assistant Robbie, meet separately with Fandra so they can discuss technical matters. The rest of us can discuss how we incorporate your land and people into Hyrule," said Zelda.

"That makes perfect sense, of course," said Sopha.

Sopha spoke briefly to Fandra, and he bowed, excused himself, and then went with one of the Royal Guards to meet with Purah.

"Now, we were thinking the most suitable name for your region is North Hyrule," said Zelda. "Your Domain would retain its own name, of course, I am referring to the land as a whole."