Summary: Princess Zelda grows closer to Randall but is not ready to tell her parents. Sidon orders a search of the Faron, Lanayru and Necluda Seas for the mysterious Zora.

"Are you dressed yet, Astra, and ready to go to breakfast?" said Princess Zelda as she waited for her little sister outside Astra's bedroom.

"Yes, I'll be right there!" said Astra.

Astra emerged from her bedroom and hugged Zelda. Then they began walking toward the small family dining room together.

"We're a little late this morning," said Zelda. "Mother and Father are already there."

"Can I ask you something, Zel?" said Astra.

"Of course," said Zelda.

"Does Mommy know you and Randall kiss?" said Astra.

"What?" said Princess Zelda.

"I saw you last night when you came home," said Astra. "I was looking out my bedroom window."

"Does Mother know you were up past your bedtime looking out the window?" said Zelda.

"I asked you first," said Astra.

"No, she doesn't know," said Zelda. "But sisters are supposed to keep each other's secrets."

"It's a secret, then?" said Astra.

"It is kind of a secret for now," said Zelda.

"Why is it a secret?" said Astra.

"Because Mother or Father may worry about me that I don't know how to behave properly, and we don't want to worry them, do we?" said Zelda. "Besides, if you tell them, they will know you stayed up late, and you may get in trouble."

"I guess that's true," said Astra. "I was looking up at the night sky, the moon, and the stars. It's so interesting! Then I saw you and Randall."

"I see," said Zelda.

"You like Randall, don't you?" said Astra.

"Yes, we like each other, but we are still getting acquainted," said Zelda.

"Your mouths looked like they already got very acquainted," said Astra.

"Can we change the subject, Astra?" whispered Zelda as they neared the dining room. "Now we're sisters, remember, and we keep each other's secrets, okay?"

"Okay, Zel," said Astra. "Not a word from me!"

They entered the dining room, and Queen Zelda and Rudin were already there. Everyone exchanged morning hugs and then sat down to breakfast.

"Did you both sleep well?" asked Queen Zelda.

"I slept very well, Mother," said Princess Zelda.

"I didn't fall asleep right away," said Astra looking at her sister, who glared back at her. "But I slept well in the end."

"Did Zelda's stories keep you awake, sweetheart?" said Queen Zelda. "Are they too exciting for bedtime?"

"No, no, it wasn't the stories," said Astra. "I love Zel's stories, and they help me to sleep. I close my eyes after the story and pretend I am in it, fighting evil."

"Well, as long as you're getting enough rest, sweetheart," said Rudin. "You need to be fresh and alert for your tutors. You're almost six now, and your studies are getting harder."

"Yes, you'll be six years old in a couple of weeks, sweetheart. That's so exciting!" said Queen Zelda. "Did you decide whom you want to invite to your birthday party?"

"Yes, all my friends from the afternoon athletic class, and Uncle Link and Aunt Mipha, and Cousin Link and Cousin Tila too," said Astra. "I don't suppose Aunt Lara will come."

"She might come, sweetheart," said Rudin. "I'll speak to her. Though you're right, she usually doesn't."

"Fine," said Queen Zelda. "I'll send out invitations. Would you like your party to be in the park if the weather allows it?"

"Oh, yes!" said Astra. "Outdoor games with my friends would be fun!"

"Let's do that then, Astra," said Queen Zelda. "Oh, Zelda, you and I have some meetings to attend together this morning, but the afternoon should be free for you. Please enjoy yourself."

"Thank you, Mother," said Zelda. "But only if you're sure I can't help in some way. I certainly don't mind doing my share."

"No, you're doing enough at this point, sweetheart," said Queen Zelda. "You're a young girl, and you deserve some free time to enjoy yourself. Do you know what you might want to do this afternoon?"

"Perhaps go horseback riding with Link, Mother," said Princess Zelda. "I haven't spoken to him lately, and my friends are working or on duty this afternoon."

Astra giggled, and Princess Zelda shot her a glance.

"What's so funny, Astra?" said Queen Zelda.

"Sorry, I just remembered something," said Astra. "May I please be excused?"

"Of course," said Rudin. "Don't forget your first lesson starts in half an hour."

At another part of the castle, young Link was having breakfast with Tila before heading to work.

"Your math classes are back in session now, right sweetheart?" said Link.

"Yes, and my afternoon sessions with Dr. Purah," said Tila. "I can still meet you for lunch, though. Let's meet by the fountain around noon."

"Perfect!" said Link. "I have a safety drill with my squad first thing this morning."

"I must say you always look very snappy in your royal guard uniform," laughed Tila. "Here, let me fix your cap."

Tila adjusted his cap, then put her arms around him.

"I promise not to wrinkle your uniform, but I want a real hug and kiss, not a peck on the cheek," said Tila.

"Wrinkle it all you want!" laughed Link. "A hug and kiss from you are priceless."

They embraced and kissed goodbye, and then Link headed to where he would meet his unit. The lieutenant saluted him and then his squad began a practice defense of the royal family's living quarters. After the exercise ended, Link addressed them all.

"That wasn't bad, but we were a little slow guarding the hallway to the royal bedrooms and one of you, you know who you were, was out of place on the upper level," said Link. "Try to imagine an intruder who got past the outer guards. Let's practice once more and be sure we coordinate and cover all the access points. Remember that minutes count in a situation like this, so we need to act quickly."

The unit repeated the drill, and the timing and coordination improved. The exercise had just ended when Link got a Tab notice that Zelda wanted to ride with him after lunch. After complimenting and dismissing his squad, Link asked one of the guards to make arrangements for the horses, then left to meet Tila for lunch in the courtyard. He found Tila waiting by the fountain.

"The seafood restaurants all look too busy, a long wait for a table," said Tila. "Why don't we get our meals to go. We can eat here alongside the fountain."

"Fine," said Link. "I'll go get them, and you save my seat."

Link returned soon with a pair of fish dishes and sat down alongside Tila at the fountain. The weather was mild and eating outdoors pleasant.

"You like being by the water, don't you?" teased Link. "You always want to meet by the fountain."

"Very funny," said Tila. "I thought you would like my more passionate nature by water."

"How was your math class?" said Link after swallowing a bite of fish.

"It was fine," said Tila. "But mathematics education here must not be as rigorous as in North Hyrule. I find myself needing to review a lot of material with the class, but we're getting there. How was your squad exercise?"

"Not too bad," said Link. "I need my squad to be quick and efficient at guarding the royal family should an intruder get into the castle."

"Is such a thing possible?" said Tila.

"It's unlikely, but I wouldn't say impossible, and it's better to prepare for the possibility," said Link.

"What about your afternoon plans?" said Tila.

"Zelda wants to go horseback riding with me," said Link. "She must be bored."

"Don't say that," laughed Tila. "I'm sure she enjoys your company and the chance to talk with you. The question is, are you the bored one? If so, you should consider resigning and coming to live in North Hyrule with me."

"No, I'm not bored," said Link. "I have a lot of responsibility since becoming Captain. But are you still happy here?"

"I'm happy here for now," said Tila. "In a year or two, when we start a family, however, we should do that at one of our domains. Our child will most likely be a Zora, and it would be best if we raise the child in a Zora environment."

"That makes perfect sense, sweetheart," said Link. "It would keep us closer to our families as well. Oh, I should get going now. I don't want the Princess being cranky with me for keeping her waiting."

They kissed, and Link headed off to meet with Zelda at the castle entrance while Tila made her way to Purah's lab.

Meanwhile, in Zora's Domain, Mipha and Link had just finished attending a council meeting and were walking home together.

"Thank Hylia, we don't have to hear about Spool Bight anymore!" said Link. "Remember how painfully long those reports were?"

"Yes," laughed Mipha shaking her head. "But this meeting was Sidon's first security report to the council, and I thought he did quite well."

"Yes, he did," said Link. "He covered everything but kept his oral report short and to the point. It's almost like he takes more after me than you."

"Would you care to elaborate on that?" said Mipha giving him a look.

"Oh, that came out a bit wrong, sweetheart," said Link. "I only meant his report was succinct, concise."

"And by implication, mine is overflowing, or long-winded as you Hylians put it?" said Mipha.

"Well, they are longer than his," said Link. "But I misspoke. I'm sure every word of your reports is necessary to convey what you want, to get the message across to everyone."

Mipha didn't answer.

"Did you hear me?" said Link.

"I heard you, but I'm trying to be less long-winded," said Mipha.

"Oh, come on, sweetheart," said Link. "I didn't mean to hurt your feelings. I meant it more as a comment on how quiet I am, not that you are too talkative."

Mipha didn't answer and kept walking to their house.

"Okay, what do I need to do to make up with you?" said Link. "I said, I'm sorry. You know I can't stand it when you're upset with me, and it will bother me all day."

"Oh, what a mouthful of words for the silent one among us," said Mipha. "But speaking of a mouthful, you can catch our lunch and then I will consider forgiving you. Or did I overexpress myself?"

"No, no, of course not," said Link. "I'll be right back with some fish."

After catching two Hyrule Bass in the nearby lake, Link returned to the house. Seeing the rueful expression on his face, Mipha had to burst out laughing.

"Come here, sweetheart," laughed Mipha as she reached out to him. "How about a hug and a kiss? You know I can't stay upset at you for very long. Well, not usually, anyway."

"I'm glad of that!" said Link as they embraced and kissed several times.

Link then cooked his fish and joined Mipha in the dining room.

"Aside from its brevity, what did you think of Sidon's report?" said Mipha.

"He takes his security role very seriously as we would expect," said Link. "He dispatched six guards to search the sea, hoping to discover who targeted us. I think he is doing fine, and Father seemed pleased with him as well."

"Yes, all that's true," said Mipha after swallowing some fish.

"Our afternoon is free," said Link. "How about a swim together?"

"You read my mind," said Mipha. "If you could do a better job of that I wouldn't have to speak at all, which sounds like it might suit you better. But Ruto Lake does look inviting for some water time after sitting all morning. Hurry up and finish that burnt thing you're picking at."

After finishing lunch, they made their way to the lower level of the Domain and then dove into Lake Ruto together. They swam to the middle of the lake near the small island there, then stopped so Link could catch his breath.

"Do you remember the time I first taught you to catch fish?" said Mipha.

"No, I don't remember that at all," said Link. "I thought I learned to catch fish on my own."

"You were still pretty small, a bit older than when I taught you to swim," said Mipha. "You used to see me catching fish and wondered if you could do it."

"And did I?" said Link.

"Well, we tried, but you were not that agile in the water," said Mipha. "So we had to emphasize stealth over speed. You were so excited when you finally caught your first fish! But your second didn't work out as well."

"Why? What happened?" said Link.

"You put your hand too close to the fish's mouth and got bit," said Mipha. "I thought for sure you would cry, but you just yelled 'ouch' once and didn't even drop the fish. You held onto it with your other hand. I healed your injury, of course, as I always did for you. I thought to myself you were pretty brave for such a small child."

"I wish I could remember all the things that happened between us, sweetheart," said Link as he floated next to her. "I feel like I've lost so many happy memories of times we were together. I know you've shared so many of them over the years, but you still keep coming up with new ones."

"I don't even remember all of them," said Mipha. "But something we do together or something you say may remind me, and then I want to share the moment with you. I first met you almost forty-five years ago, sweetheart, and that's a long time, even for a Zora."

"Yes, it is," said Link. "You know, when I was recovering my memories, I was always drawn to the Domain, and I returned here often. Somehow I sensed my ties to here, which were clearly because of you. And, of course, there were people here who still remembered me. That was a lonely time in my life, trying to pick up the pieces and recover who I was. But life with you and our beautiful family has more than made up for it. I'm never happier than when I'm together with you. I love you so much."

They reached out for each other, embraced and shared a long kiss.

"For someone who used to be so quiet, you can be so sweet sometimes," said Mipha after their kiss ended. "And you know I love you with all my heart. We've certainly had a lot of turmoil in our lives, but our love for each other has always been there, the constant that has seen us through life and will continue to do so whatever we face. But now you need to stay in shape. Let's swim up and down the river, and I'm not pulling you against the current on the return!"

"I'll show you who's in shape," laughed Link as he pushed her backward and used the momentum to get a head start swimming. "Race you to the next waterfall!"

"Cheater!" laughed Mipha. "You'll be sorry when I catch you!"

Mipha caught up to him before they reached the waterfall, grabbed him, and they went falling over the falls together in each other's arms, laughing all the way down and landing with a big splash. In some ways, they were still like two kids playing together, and it was terrific never to lose that.

Meanwhile, young Link and Princess Zelda met at the castle entrance to go riding.

"Your Highness," said Link as he held her horse for her, then jumped on his horse.

"Thank you, Link," said Zelda. "I suggest we ride to the Coliseum. They are doing some renovations that I am interested in seeing."

They steered their horses west toward Mount Gustaf and rode slowly side-by-side.

"Now that we are out of earshot of the guards, please call me Zelda," said Zelda. "May I ask how your trip to North Hyrule was this past weekend?"

"Fantastic," said Link. "Tila taught me how to water surf, and it's great fun! And it was beautiful along the seacoast spending time together, just the two of us."

"It does sound delightful," said Zelda.

"What about you, Zelda?" said Link. "Are you still seeing Randall?"

"Yes," said Zelda. "I haven't told my parents that it is getting more serious. But I wonder if the guards report on my activities to them."

"Well, you're asking the right person," laughed Link. "I can tell you that the royal guards keep an eye on you but do not report on your activity unless there is a security breach or an incident of some kind. No one in the guards is telling your parents about the time you spend with Lieutenant Randall. But I suspect your mother knows."

"Probably," said Zelda. "And I guess there is no reason to hide it."

"So, it is pretty serious, the two of you?" said Link.

"As serious as any relationship of mine can be with guards watching me whenever I go out," laughed Zelda.

"I hear you," laughed Link. "My Mom said my older sister used to have a fit about it too, though I don't remember it. But I think you get used to it after a while. I mean you are going to have guards watching over you for your whole life, right?"

"Yes, very true, and thanks for reminding me," laughed Zelda. "But enough about all that. I'll race you to the Aquame Bridge!

"You're on, Princess," said Link as he urged his horse forward.

As expected, Zelda won the race, since her horse was one of the fastest and Link's just one of the horses chosen at random from the stable.

"Congratulations," said Link upon reaching the bridge.

They rode together the rest of the way, and when they reached the Coliseum, they dismounted and entered the arena. They could see a crew of workers repairing and renovating the seating.

"Do you remember your big day here, the swordsmanship championship?" said Princess Zelda as they walked around the floor of the building looking around.

"I'll never forget it," said Link. "I think my Dad won't either since it reminded him of his big day."

"Yes, my mother used to tell me about your father's victory, how it changed everything," said Zelda. "It led to your father being chosen by the sword. Were you sorry that you weren't chosen as well?"

"If it had chosen me, I would have done my best," said Link. "But my father is still healthy and a skillful swordsman. Perhaps the sword doesn't need anyone new yet. He returned the sword once, and then it needed him back again. My Dad used to talk about how much pressure he felt to live up to everyone's expectations and the time he spent alone training. So, I wouldn't say I'm sorry. I just kind of accept it. And it's not like your bloodline thing. The sword can choose anyone. It doesn't have to be a relative of mine."

"Yes, and as we've spoken of before I think you're lucky," said Zelda. "You have choices in life that I don't. But I know I should be thankful for the opportunity given to me, and I'm learning to accept that. Maybe it's part of growing up."

"Maybe," said Link. "Tila and I are talking about starting a family in a year or two. We're all not kids anymore, are we?"

"No, we're not," laughed Zelda.

They walked around a bit longer examining the structure, then returned to their horses.

"We should get back," said Zelda. "No more racing, just a pleasant leisurely ride home. I'm glad to get out and spend some time with you. You are still the only person I can talk to about some things."

"I'm glad to hear that," said Link. "And I don't think my horse is up to another race anyway."

"May I ask you a personal question, but feel free not to answer," said Zelda. "Did you propose to Tila or did she ask you?"

"Technically, I asked her," said Link. "But to be honest, she brought up the subject one day, basically asking me what are we waiting for and putting the idea in my head. Up until then, I'm ashamed to admit I hadn't thought about it, still thinking of myself as too young. So, I would give her more credit than me for making it happen."