"I must say, Mipha, Zora culture is much more diverse than I originally thought".
Princess Zelda and Lady Mipha were walking through the centre of Zora's Domain, Link trailing behind them. Wherever Zelda went, her chosen knight wouldn't be too far away.
"Forgive me if I offend, Princess, but Hylians have never really understood us," Mipha said in her quiet voice. "They believe us to be less evolved versions of the Rito, which may be true. However, the Zora are a proud race, with a history dating back to the Hero of Time himself!"
Zelda nodded. She had extensive knowledge of the various incarnations of the Hero throughout time. From the Hero of the Sky who battled an ancient evil, to the Hero of Twilight who fought against both the Usurper King and the Demon King, she knew them all.
"If I may ask one thing, Mipha..." Zelda asked, stopping to peer over a railing at some Zoras swimming down below.
"The Zoras eat fish, correct? Yet it was always my belief that the Zoras were descended from fish?"
Mipha let out a quiet laugh.
"Yes, it is true. Our records don't go back quite that far, but it is believed that the first group of Zora's came into being when the Goddess Nayru took pity on a group of washed up fish that were too far from water. The reason we eat fish dates back to the Era of the Hero of Time, when the Zora race had a guardian deity," Mipha explained, joining Zelda at the railing.
"You mean Lord Jabu-Jabu?"
Nodding, Mipha continued.
"Yes. Lord Jabu-Jabu's favourite meal was actually fish, despite him being a rather large one. After he disappeared from his lake, we grieved for his loss by eating a feast in his memory. That feast consisted mainly of fish, in remembrance of his favourite food".
"I see. And it is a tradition that continues to this day, I presume?" Zelda asked, her eye drawn to a glint of light reflecting off the Master Sword's blade. Both Mipha and Zelda watched as Link showed a group of young Zoras the Blade of Evil's Bane. Mipha smiled at the "Ooo's" and "Ahh's" Link received.
"It was always believed that the Zora Princess could prepare the best fish," Mipha said after a moment of silence. "As the one who fed Lord Jabu-Jabu was Princess Ruto, the secret to his meals was passed down through Zora Royalty".
"So you could prepare something like it?" Zelda asked.
"I suppose I could. I've never really tried. After all, I was raised a Princess. Meals were cooked for me, not by me".
Thinking, Zelda finally spoke up.
"Well then, let's try it!"
Mipha looked at her, confusion on her face. Zelda never really got this excited, especially these days.
"A-Are you sure? Like I said, I've never really cooked anything..." She trailed off.
"I'm sure that between the three of us, we can work something out!" Zelda said excitedly.
"Well, okay... I guess I could try. But first, we need to deliver that report to my father," Mipha reminded Zelda, who nodded.
"Of course. We should head there now".
As the pair headed off, Link didn't notice them, too busy being mobbed by children wanting to look at the Master Sword. It wasn't until Zelda came back and grabbed him by the arm that he escaped.
After their report on the Divine Beast, Zelda, Mipha and Link headed up to the reservoir, where they had been camping.
"Right. Here's how it's going to go," Zelda said firmly. "Link, you can start on a fire. Mipha, you and I will look for fish".
Link nodded, pulling a bundle of wood out of his magic pouch. Zelda had asked on multiple occasions how he managed to fit extra clothes, spare weapons, food, materials and camping gear in there, but he could never give a proper answer.
"How about these ones?" Zelda asked, pointing to a group of blue fish.
"Armoured Carp... No, I think Hyrule Bass would do just fine. Unless you're planning on heading into battle?" Mipha asked, smiling.
"No, of course not!" Zelda replied, shaking her head. "Okay, so... Hyrule Bass look like this?"
She showed Mipha a picture of a green fish on her Sheikah Slate. She nodded.
"Pictures are all well and good, but nothing beats the real thing!"
Mipha stabbed her spear into the water and pulled it out, a green fish skewered on the end. She repeated this a couple of times, until Zelda could no longer carry all of them.
"I think that should do!" Mipha said, pleased with her catch. "Normally, they are much harder to catch".
As they reached their camp, Zelda sighed. She had just seen Link...
"Oh, have you already eaten?" Mipha asked, disappointment in her voice. She had been looking forward to cooking for Link, one the reasons she had agreed to in the first place.
Link shrugged, a sorry look on his face.
"Argh!" Zelda stamped her foot. "Mipha was all ready to prepare this nice meal, and you couldn't wait!"
Link looked away. He never really spoke, unless you really prompted him.
"Its fine, Princess. I can cook for the two of us," Mipha said, laying a hand on Zelda's shoulder. She instantly perked up. "Thank you, Mipha," she said, bowing her head in thanks. "I simply cannot wait!"
Zelda watched Mipha go through the steps of preparing their dinner. She looked on with interest as she took the bones out of the fish, before cutting it into pieces and sprinkling on a little salt.
"We give thanks to Lord Jabu-Jabu for this meal," she said quietly, before closing her eyes and concentrating.
"A silent prayer," she said to Zelda before handing her a silver plate.
"I must say, that was delicious!"
Zelda leaned back against the rock she had chosen to act as a chair. Mipha sat opposite her, a pleased expression on her face.
"Thank you, Princess. It's kind of you to say," Mipha thanked her. Behind her, Link was practicing with the Master Sword, which drew Zelda's eye.
"Do you think he's ready?" Mipha asked, hearing the blade cut through the air.
"Are any of us truly ready?" Zelda asked, worry in her voice.
"You needn't worry. With all of us working together, we'll do brilliant!" Mipha reassured her.
Nodding, Zelda fell silent. Everybody was ready... Everybody except her. She couldn't awaken her power, which was critical to the plan. Sure, Link was good with the Master Sword, but unless she could seal Ganon away, he would be battling for a very long time.
"I must return to the Domain," Mipha said, bringing Zelda out of her thoughts. "Remember that Lynel up there".
"Yes, of course. Be safe, Mipha".
As she watched Mipha go, Zelda placed her hands on her belly. She briefly thought that it felt softer, but dismissed the notion. She had just had a large dinner, after all.
"Don't stay up too late, please," she told Link, who nodded. He normally went to bed after her and woke before her. She used to believe that he never actually slept until she was woken during a storm, which Link had slept right through.
As she lay down on her sleeping bag, Zelda shifted. Her backside felt a little odd, as did her breasts...
"It's nothing," she said, drifting off to sleep.
The next day...
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