Summary: Tara starts learning words and charms her family, but shows a mischievous side too! An uneventful Zora council meeting takes place, and there is no further progress in understanding Grendon's research.

It was a sunny morning in Zora's Domain with a brisk but tolerable southerly breeze that caused the branches on the grove of evergreen trees by Mikau Lake to sway. Young Link held his daughter Tara in his arms as he walked about the area. Tila was at home on a Tab call with her sister, Faray, and the rest of the family was either busy or out, so Link had his daughter all to himself for a while.

"Tree," said Link as he held Tara with one arm and touched the trunk of one of the evergreen trees with his other hand.

Tara reached out, touched the tree, and said, "treeeeeeee." Then she looked at her father and smiled.

"Very good!" said Link. "But just say tree, as I did."

"Treeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee," said Tara stretching it out even more, and then giggling.

"You're so funny!" laughed Link as he gave her a gentle tickle. "I know you can say it right because I heard you say it for Mommy. You just like to tease me, don't you?"

Tara reached out and held her hand against his cheek. Then she giggled again and said, "Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy, Daddy," over and over.

"Okay, okay," laughed Link lifting her hand from his cheek. "I know I'm your Daddy." Was she the most adorable? Adorable and already a bit mischievous. "Let's take you to the water. I know you like that."

Link walked to the water's edge at Mikau Lake, knelt holding her, and touched the water with his hand saying "water."

Tara reached down to the water with her hand and said, "lake," then giggled again.

"Are you teaching me, or am I teaching you?" laughed Link. "I know it's a lake. I just didn't think you did. Mommy must have taught you that, right?"

Tara didn't answer but smiled as she turned her head and looked into his eyes. Her eyes had that uncanny ability to hold your attention, to make you not want to look away. Tila and both of his sisters had that same effect if they stared at you. There was something about Zora eyes that he found hard to resist.

"I wonder what you are sometimes thinking," said Link. "But let's play in the water now. Or I should say the lake. I dressed expecting to end up in the lake at some point."

Link put Tara down in the shallow water where grass and Fleet-Lotus Seeds grew. Tara took his hand and immediately pulled him to the deeper part of the small lake. Then they swam together as she held one of his hands, taking him into and out of the waterfall and giggling. Then she suddenly spotted a Hyrule Bass. Tara let go of his hand and swam after the fish, catching it after a few twists and turns. Then she turned her back on Link and ate it in a few bites.

"Wow!" said Link. "I think Mommy has been teaching you how to catch fish, and it shows. You swim so fast now!"

Having finished, Tara turned back to face him and said, "Fish."

"Yes, fish, that's very good," said Link. "You're learning words so quickly, Tara."

Just then, Tila emerged from the house, and seeing them in the water, joined them.

"Mommy, mommy, mommy," said Tara as she reached out to Tila.

"How's my precious little girl?" said Tila as she took Tara into her arms and hugged and kissed her.

Tara returned the hug and kiss, holding Tila around the neck.

"She caught a fish quite easily and ate it," said Link. "Her swimming is beautiful. And she's saying more words, too."

"Yes, you're quite the smart little girl, aren't you?" said Tila giving her another kiss. "My precious little princess, I love you so much!"

"When do you start teaching her to swim up waterfalls?" said Link.

"Oh, she has to be a bit bigger for that, sweetheart," said Tila. "And we would start with a smaller waterfall. The waterfall here is quite tall."

Tara pointed at a nearby tree, said "tree," then looked over at Link and giggled while Tila held her.

"Perfect, sweetheart," said Tila.

"I knew she could say it correctly!" laughed Link. "She keeps teasing me, lengthening the sound of the word. Then, when I said 'water,' she said, 'lake.' She is definitely mischievous, aren't you!"

Link tickled Tara making her giggle again. Then she reached out for Link and said, "Daddy."

"Sorry, I guess she wants to come back to me," said Link, happy to take her back in his arms as Tila handed her to him. Then Tara put her arms around Link's neck and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I love you so, so much, you little cutie," said Link as he gently patted her tail fin.

"There is no doubt she knows that!" laughed Tila. "And I think she also knows who she has wrapped around her fin. I bet she can get you to do whatever she wants with a pout or a blink of her pretty blue eyes. Have you ever said "no" to her?"

"Well, I never had a reason to," said Link. "But I could if I had to."

"Oh, yes, I'm sure," said Tila as she continued laughing.

Then Tila leaned forward and kissed Tara on the forehead.

"You know your Daddy would do anything for you, don't you, sweetheart?" said Tila.

Tara just nestled her head deeper into Link's shoulder.

"I think we should take her for a walk," said Tila. "You can't keep holding her forever and carrying her everywhere! She does need to use her legs, you know."

"Okay, fine, you're right," said Link.

They made their way ashore, then Link gently put Tara down and took her hand, while Tila came ashore and took her other hand. A small flock of sparrows took to the air as they approached, and Tara pointed and said, "birds."

"She knows plurals too," said Link. "I am so proud of her!"

They walked around the area for a few more minutes as Tara looked around, then shouted "bug" when a Restless Cricket hopped out of their path.

"Perfect, sweetheart," said Tila. "That's right."

Then Tara pulled her hands free from both parents and started chasing after the cricket. But it kept hopping away and eluding her.

"That's good exercise," said Link as he watched her run.

"And good for her lung development too," said Tila.

"Fast," said Tara as she stopped and looked at the bush that the cricket hopped behind and disappeared. "Fast bug."

"Oh, wow!" said Link. "She's even starting to form sentences. She's brilliant, Tila. I can't believe how quickly she's picking up on the language."

"Well, both of her parents are smart, so why shouldn't she be?" said Tila.

"I know you're smart, Tila, particularly in Mathematics," said Link. "But I never knew you thought I was. I mean, I was an okay student, but not as sharp as my siblings."

"Of course you're smart, sweetheart," said Tila as she reached out and took his hand. "You were smart enough to marry me."

"Oh, hilarious," laughed Link squeezing her hand. "Remind me to splash you the next time we're in the water. Or the lake I should say."

"I'm teasing you, sweetheart, because I love you," laughed Tila. "You are quite smart, and I respect that in you. Life is not just about school grades."

"No, it isn't, and I love you, too," said Link as he leaned over, and Tila bent down slightly for a kiss. "And we do have the cutest little daughter in all of Hyrule!"

"She is! And that's another thing we have in common," laughed Tila.

Just then, Tara came running back to them, having given up on catching the cricket, and they resumed their walk.

Meanwhile, inside their house, Mipha joined Link as she found him looking out the window at Tila, Link, and Tara.

"Watching over the family?" said Mipha as she stood next to him and put her arm around him.

"Yes, and they're a beautiful family if I don't say so myself," said Link as he put his arm around her. "My first instinct was to rush outside and join them, but then I thought better of it. They need some alone time with Tara as a family, and we have plenty of other opportunities to be with her."

"You're right," said Mipha. "But I know how you feel. Whenever I see Tara, I want to pick her up and cuddle her in my arms."

They both paused for another moment to watch the three of them. Then Mipha turned to Link.

"Are you ready for the council meeting?" Said Mipha. "Thank Nayru Father cut back the attendance to Sidon, Kara, Larah, and us. Others attend now only as needed. Those meetings used to go on forever!"

"I know!" said Link. "I still can't say Spool Bight without recalling the endless updates we sat through. But, yes, I'm all ready, and I don't have too much to mention. Are you chairing this meeting, or is Father?"

"Father wants me to chair it," said Mipha. "He's getting all sentimental about being a great grandfather, saying that means he must be old and Sidon and I need to be ready to rule the Domain. I keep telling him that's nonsense and reminding him that our Hylian son had a child when he was very young by Zora's standards. None of our Zora children is even married yet. And he's quite healthy. So, whenever you get the chance, keep telling him how young he is."

"I will," said Link. "In my original timeline, he was alive and well one hundred years after the Calamity, and it's been what, only a bit over thirty years since then now? So, I'm sure he has a lot of years left."

"Anyway, let's go, Ambassador Link," said Mipha taking his hand. "We have a council meeting to attend."

Mipha and Link made their way to the far end of the throne room, which had been set up for a council meeting. Sidon was there, as well as the Royal Secretary, Kara, and Captain of the Guards, Larah.

"Enjoying your lovely granddaughter?" said Sidon to Link as they hugged in greeting.

"Yes, no end," said Link. "You should stop by more often to see her."

"Maybe I will," said Sidon. "Father has been keeping me busy learning everything. I guess my sister told you he is in the mood right now that all of us need to be ready to take over in his impending absence. It's ridiculous, of course."

"I know, and hopefully, that mood will pass," said Link. "But seriously, come by the house for dinner. I know it's crowded these days, but it will be fun for all of us to get together."

"I'll try," said Sidon patting Link on the shoulder. "Oh, it looks like Mipha is calling the meeting to order."

Everyone took a seat, and Mipha began the meeting.

"Welcome, and as usual, we will turn to Kara to run our meeting," said Mipha. "Kara, you may proceed."

Everyone took out their Tabs except Sidon, who had one of the newer Mabs.

"Thank you," said Kara. "I provided all of you with the meeting agenda on your Tabs, but today we only have only three topics, and I'll read them.

Queen Zelda's report - Mipha

Ambassador report - Link

Domain defense - Sidon/Larah.

"Did I leave anything out?" asked Kara.

No one said anything, so Mipha proceeded.

"A copy of Queen Zelda's report is available on your Tabs," said Mipha. "I will try to cover the major items here and allow an opportunity for discussion, so please interrupt me at any time. Her latest report is a bit shorter than usual since she was preoccupied with her daughter's wedding part of the time. But I'll go over what's included. The Hyrule finance situation has returned to normal, the run on Rupees having ended. There is a report on progress with public transportation, including Eldin expansion and even some experiments with vehicles that can fly. There is hope a limited form of air transport may become available for long-distance travel in several years, depending on their test progress."

"Amazing!" interjected Sidon. "We will have public transport on land, on water, and in the air. That will cover everything!"

"Not quite, Your Highness," said Larah.

"What do you mean?" said Sidon.

"It does not cover vehicles that can operate under the water," said Larah. "That would be a defense issue should such vehicles be created, but I believe the sensors we installed some time ago should allay any concerns."

"Oh, I get your point," said Sidon. "And it's rather ironic I didn't."

"If there are no other questions or comments, I will move on," said Mipha. "There is not much left. Zelda appointed a new education minister who will be working to recruit more qualified science instructors and try to interest more students in science and technology. As you know, science has always been Queen Zelda's passion, and I understand she was not pleased with the performance of the former minister. Her report also contains the official announcement of my son Link as a liaison officer to the two domains. So he will be stationed here with occasional visits to North Hyrule and Hyrule Castle, as needed. Which, of course, my husband and I are personally thrilled about. The rest of the items in her report are routine, so that's about it."

"If there are no questions or comments, we will move to Prince Link," said Kara.

"Thank you, Kara," said Link. "A copy of all the regional reports is also available on your Tabs. Of course, the biggest item from North Hyrule is the inquiry related to the discovery that their missing scientist, Grendon, was a murder victim, his body being found in the Eldin Region. They are still seeking to lean the nature of his research. Grendon left no evidence of what he had been working on most recently. The only new information they have to go on is his last words, which were that whatever it was he was working on, it would not fool a Zora."

"That's interesting," said Sidon. "So, what he was working on would presumably fool other races but not a Zora. That's intriguing. I wonder what it means?"

"Yes, everyone does, and no one has come up with anything yet," said Link.

After a pause, Link continued.

"I attended a ceremony honoring Champion Revali in Rito Village, where they named a flight platform after him. I was a bit apprehensive about attending, given some of our history together. But everything went well, and it was a pleasure getting together with him again. We parted on good terms. I invited him here and hope he will visit us. I must say taking public transportation to Rito Village was very relaxing, and I will compliment Queen Zelda on all she has accomplished in that area the next chance I get. There is nothing significant to report from the Gerudo or Gorons, so that's it for me."

"If there are no questions, we can move on to Prince Sidon and Captain Larah," said Kara.

"We've been operating at a somewhat higher level of security since the alert went out about the missing scientist," said Larah. "We have additional patrols and double guards at key locations. And we monitor other locations using security devices that transmit pictures. Given the mystery still surrounding the whole Grendon incident, I recommend we continue, as so far, it has not put a strain on our resources. Does the rest of the council agree?"

"I do," said Mipha. "Something is disconcerting about this whole Grendon matter, and I would err on the side of safety. If Sopha weren't imprisoned, I would suspect her involvement. But this could be even more serious. So, by all means, stay vigilant."

"I concur," said Sidon. "And I know Father will follow our recommendation."

"Do you have anything else you wish to discuss, Captain Larah?" said Kara.

"Oh, just that I will be scheduling meetings with Captain Link now as our Hyrule contact," said Larah. "I must say that feels a little strange for me, having seen him grow up here since he was a young boy. But I'm sure it will work out. And congratulations again, Princess Mipha and Prince Link, on such an adorable granddaughter. That's all I have."

"Thank you, Larah," said Mipha.

"If there is nothing else, then I will record the minutes," said Kara. "Lady Mipha?"

"We can adjourn," said Mipha. "I love that these meetings are short now!"

Everyone dispersed as Mipha and Link made their way back to the house.

"Now, maybe we can get in some time with Tara today," said Link. "Is that the real reason you were happy the meeting was short? But I thought that I should visit Astra this weekend. I love her, and I miss seeing her. And with her sister married now, she might feel a little lonelier."

"That's a fine idea," said Mipha. "It's proper that you make time for Astra. And Tara does not lack for attention here, quite the opposite! By all means, go, and you can thank Zelda in person for her transportation system."

Meanwhile, at Hyrule Castle, Princess Zelda and her husband Randall had returned from their honeymoon. They were busy moving into their new living quarters, an apartment in an adjoining wing of the castle living area.

"This is beautiful, and certainly a lot nicer than the officer's quarters," said Randall as he looked around their apartment and tried to imagine where things would go.

"It is very nice and quite roomy," said Princess Zelda. "It's new for me too. I only had my room and study until now, and Mother did not want to show it to me until she had a chance to have it made ready for us."

Then they heard the sound of running feet, and Astra ran into the apartment since the door was open.

"You're back, Zel!" said Astra. "And, Hi Randall."

Astra ran to Zelda, and they embraced then kissed.

"It's so good to see you, Astra," said Zelda. "Did you miss me?"

"I did miss you, Zel, and I'm glad you're home," said Astra. "But Mom said I couldn't bother you so much anymore."

"You can still visit me, sweetheart, and you're never a bother at all," laughed Zelda. "I want you to feel free to visit. Randall and I just need more time for each other now, that's all."

"And I look forward to getting to know you better, Astra," said Randall.

"That would be nice. But I should go now," said Astra. "Mom said I could just come by to see where you live now and say hello, not stay very long. We'll see you at dinner tonight."

"See you later then," said Zelda.

Astra left.

"She is so cute," said Randall.

"Yes, she is," said Zelda. "But she is also quite smart and brave too. She is quite the little girl. Now, let's get our things organized so we can settle in here tonight."

Meanwhile, in North Hyrule, Aldora was in her living quarters in the Sheikah village. It was evening, and she had come to a stopping point on her project. That made it a good time for a hot cup of tea and a chance to ponder Grendon's last words again. She put an empty cup on the table, sat down, closed her eyes for a moment, and her Tab filled the cup with hot tea just the way she liked it. She took a sip, then thought about Grendon's last words again.

"It can't fool a Zora," Grendon had said.

So, whatever it was, it might fool her, or a Rito, Goron, or Gerudo, but not a Zora. So, why wouldn't it fool a Zora? What was unique about Zoras? She decided to list the distinguishing characteristics of a Zora, the things that were somewhat unique to them.

Most comfortable in the water but can live on land too.

Can swim fast and up waterfalls.

Can breathe underwater indefinitely.

They are very sensitive to electricity.

Can use echolocation to find and hunt their prey

Have eyes adapted to see underwater

Is self-sufficient in the wild. Can live off the sea indefinitely.

Does not need to cook. Eats food raw, usually fish or crabs.

Great architectural skill and understands construction.