#finally got to zora's domain and met yona and I LIKE HER SHES PRETTY AND SWEET. will not tolerate yona slander

[emberglowfox]

moment of respite

[echoingvoids]

Arrangement

It was part of the peace agreement. Princess Mipha Lightscale would marry Revali Eaglebow, the best warrior among the Rito. She's not looking forward to it. She's never met this man in her life. Part of her ever doubted she could love someone so different from her. But they could be friends.

<>

Theme: Arranged marriage AU for two very different cultures.

Word Count: 9,220

Originally Posted: Nov. 11, 2024

Warnings: Some references to things. Mentions of injury and blood.

Other: My longest oneshot to date! I've tried to edit spelling but knowing me I missed some stuff. Features a Zora OC I whipped up and expanded population and town sizes. Enjoy!

Miphvali masterlist requests

"I'm sorry," Mipha's eyebrows knit together. "Could you repeat what you just said? The last part?"

Her father, King Dorephan, looked at her patiently. "We have finally obtained a peace treaty with the Rito. As part of the conditions of the treaty, you are being married to their most highly-esteemed warrior, Revali Eaglebow."

She let that sink in for a moment. After ten years of trying to come to agreements with the very different kingdom of the Rito, they finally achieved their goal of peace. On the condition that she marry someone she's scarcely heard of and never even met.

As Princess of the Zora, she always knew it was likely that she would be married to some high-ranking Lord or Prince of either a kingdom of Hyrule or one of the other surrounding countries. Yet she was not prepared to be married into a culture so vastly different from her own. They didn't even use the monarchy system, for Hylia's sake, having some sort of village Elder and a collection of warriors in various positions. 

She nodded slowly, trying to keep her expression neutral. "What about the agreement with Alfrinda beyond Hyrule?"

"We spoke with them and they agreed that inner peace within a country is of the utmost importance. Besides, their princess, Yona, will be coming of age about the same time as your brother Sidon. They will be married and he will take the throne after I step down.

Mipha nodded again, even slower. "That is implying...that I am moving to Rito Village."

Her father almost looked sad for her. "Yes. It is part of the terms."

Even better. She had to move to the Hebra region, which had the coldest winters in the country of Hyrule. A major change from the balmy weather of Zora's Domain. 

She didn't know how she was going to survive. "And I'm just going to be shipped off? Just like that?"

"Zora soldiers will accompany you until you arrive and then Rivan will stay with you as your guard. And you also get to bring your maid, Lyra."

Well, at least she had that. Still, it was little consolation. "When do I leave?"

"The day after tomorrow."

This caused Mipha to stand abruptly, her silver dress swishing at the sudden movement. "I see. Please excuse me."

Without another word, she turned and fled to her room.

Two days.

In two days she would likely never get to return home again.

<>

Lyra stood with Mipha, checking over the contents of her baggage. "Alright, we have your warmest clothes, the royal gown, your chosen jewelry, along with your art supplies."

Mipha nodded. "Yes."

Lyra looked up from her list, amber eyes softening. "It will be alright, Your Highness."

"We can't be sure. For all I know, he could be some awful old man."

The maid's nose wrinkled. "I'm pretty sure there are laws in all regions against that. Besides, His Highness loves you too much to subject you to that."

"True. But still. All the other men who were potentially suitors for me I got to meet at least once. I've never met this man in my life and I'm pretty sure I've only heard his name twice prior to this new development."

"Valid points. But Your Highness, try to look on the bright side," Lyra set the list down, placing a comforting hand on Mipha's shoulder. "Sure, he could be this stone-cold, awful man. But there's a chance he could be very kind and considerate. Or maybe he could be something else entirely. We have to wait and see."

Mipha sighed. "I suppose you are right. I just can't help but be nervous."

"And you have every right to be, Your Highness. But surely you will find something to relate over, despite his culture being so different from ours," Lyra wrinkled her nose. "I'm think I can assure you, however, that he's not going to be some bitter old man."

At this Mipha laughed, giving her maid a grateful smile. "Oh, Lyra. What would I do without you?'

Lyra smiled back, picking up her list again. "Forget your mother's crystal earrings, most likely."

Mipha laughed again, feeling just the tiniest bit better.

<>

Even though June was now in full swing, the breeze of the Hebra Region carried a coolness Mipha was not used to. The sun was warm but the air was cool. It was strange and, frankly, a bit disorienting. 

They were greeted by a group of Rito warriors and Elder Kaneli himself, who was a large older man with a braided beard and kind yellow-green eyes under thick eyebrows. He greeted them warmly and respectfully, explaining that Revali was out on a scouting trip and thus unable to meet them at present. The Rito Warrior would not be back for several hours, but Kaneli offered to take the princess to where she would be staying until the wedding in the next two months, when she would move in with husband.

Many houses were sprawled around the edges of Lake Totori where most of the Rito lived, with the heart of the village spiraling around a stone spire protruding up from the lake. This is where Kaneli led Mipha, taking her up several flights of stairs (which was even more than the Zora Domain palace had) to a small house near the top. The breeze was stronger up here, blowing her magenta hair into her eyes as Kaneli opened the door and welcomed them in.

The house wasn't very large, given the nature of where it was built, but it was cozy. A small living area greeted them, with a large window looking outside, a basket-weave chair hanging from the ceiling, and a small table filling the space.  A single door led into the bedroom, which had a bed for Mipha and a bed for Lyra and a surprisingly large closest. Kaneli explained that there was a cot Rivan could set up in the living area, then apologized for the tight quarters. Mipha assured him it was alright, understanding that it must've been difficult to procure on such short notice.

This had all occurred several hours ago.

Mipha and Lyra sat in silence in the bedroom, with Rivan guarding the entrance to the home. The sun was starting to slant through the window in the living area, streaking through the bedroom's open door into Mipha's eyes. The sunset seemed so different from back home.

Except this was her home now.

Lyra stood. "I'm going to the kitchen to obtain some dinner. Will you be alright here by yourself for a few minutes?"

Mipha nodded silently, watching her maid leave the house, the front door closing softly behind her. With a sigh, Mipha continued to stare out at the setting sun, wondering how her life had suddenly changed so much so quickly. She knew this was her responsibility as the Zora Princess but she never thought it would be so hard to bear.

She heard the door opening again and she turned, about to comment on how quickly Lyra had returned, when she froze. 

A man stood in the doorway.

She was immediately on her feet, staring at the stranger, fumbling for words that just would not come. Her stared back at her, with piercing green eyes that demanded attention, observing her but yet not judging her. His raven hair, like all the men of Rito Village, was pulled into a braided hairstyle, tied in place with elastics of jade color, setting off his eyes quite nicely while a bright blue scarf with Vah Medoh stitched into the folds circled his neck. And he was tall, practically looming over her. 

His eyebrow arched up after a long moment and he asked, "Princess Mipha?"

His voice caught her off guard with just how smooth it was. "I-uhm-yes. Yes, Princess Mipha Lightscale of Zora's Domain," she took a deep breath. "Would I be wrong in presuming that you are Revali Eaglebow?"

"That is correct," his green eyes continued to take her in, whatever emotion he was feeling eluding them. "I would like to apologize for not being here for your arrival earlier today. I was told you would be arriving this evening."

"No need to apologize. Uhm, we got here faster than anticipated."

He nodded slowly. "Welcome to the village, Princess Mipha."

And with that, he simply turned and left.

Mipha found herself feeling utterly confused as she stood there, fingering the silver fabric of her sleeveless dress. So that was her future husband. And she had absolutely no idea what his first impression of her was. It probably wasn't a good one, giving how she was fumbling to speak.

With a groan, she flopped back onto the bed, rubbing her face with her hands.

<>

The dining hall was full. Princess Mipha had been at the village for two days and this had caused many conversations, especially among the men who had just returned from the hunting trip up in the Hebra Mountains. She had yet to join them in the communal dining hall for dinner--that was to be expected--but some wondered if she ever would. Given the Zora monarchy tended not to dine with every other citizen of Zora's Domain.

Teba, Revali's closest friend, had been among the men in the mountains when the princess had arrived. And as soon as Revali sat down next to him, questions were fired. "Have you met her?"

Revali scoffed. "Of course I have. What do you take me for, an imbecile?"

"When did you meet her?"

"As soon as she arrived."

"Have you spoken with her since?"

Revali sighed, aggressively scooping some moose-meat stew out of his bowl. "No, I have not. Can you stop quizzing me?"

"Well, I'm sorry. My best friend is being married to the princess of a kingdom we haven't had peace with in over 150 years. Excuse me."

"Oh, don't be like that. Besides, I haven't spoken to her again because I've been busy and she's been holed-up in her house."

Teba nodded knowingly. "I see. Well, I frankly can't blame her. She's being married off to a man she's met only once."

"Isn't that the way monarchies do things in the first place? This should be no different."

"First of all, we don't even operate on a monarchy system. And second, she's gone from one extreme to another. She's gonna find it cold here, especially compared to where she came from. Besides, she likely won't get to go back again and since this was a very recent development, she's probably struggling to come to terms."

"You haven't even met her, how are you analyzing her?"

Teba shrugged, turning to his stew. "Just think about it from her perspective. Its not that hard."

<>

On her fifth day there, Mipha was finally brave enough to venture outside. 

Everywhere she went, people greeted her, wishing her well. Everyone treated her with kindness and Kaneli even took time out of his busy schedule to have a short conversation with her. Their kindness made things a little bit easier. She met a lovely woman named Saki, apparently the wife of Revali's best friend. They talked for nearly an hour and left Mipha feeling like she might have made a friend in this foreign place.

She adjusted to the cooler summer air and the different way the sun rose and set. The snow on the mountains in the distance still astounded her, even when she reached the point of being there for two weeks.

Over those two weeks, she had only seen Revali a few times, exchanging only a few words with him before he'd disappear again. She knew almost nothing of the man, except that he was highly skilled, highly respected, and almost always busy. Which wasn't a lot to work with.

She seemed to blink and a whole month had gone by, throwing her headlong into July. She felt far more comfortable with the people, slowly adjusting to the culture. She had yet to brave the communal dining hall, but she had the courage to go out more often to talk to people.

Although, for some reason, it began to bug her that she had barely spoken to Revali.

She hadn't been expecting anything else and yet she was desperately hoping to learn something, anything about the man she was destined to marry in about a month. But he was never around.

So when he showed up at her door on a Tuesday morning with his bow slung over his shoulder and asking if she was busy, she was shocked. "Uhm, no, I'm not busy. Why?"

"Well, I..." he sighed. "Have you been to the Archery Range?"

Her gold eyes went wide and she shook her head. "It has been mentioned to me but I have yet to make the trip over. It looks cold over there."

To her shock, Revali chuckled. "Because it is. I'm heading there now for an hour. If you want to come with me, you should change into some pants or something."

She looked over her shoulder at Lyra, who mouthed 'say you'll go!' Turning back to Revali, she nodded. "Alright! Uh, one moment."

He nodded, waiting while she shut the door and ran into the bedroom to find a suitable pair of pants. Not that she owned many, given they weren't really needed back in Zora's Domain. She was sure she'd have to obtain more before fall rolled around. 

Lyra helped her throw her magenta hair into a braid and she reappeared at the door a moment later, Revali standing there with a detached look on his face. "Alright."

"Its a bit of walk," Revali took off at a brisk pace, Mipha scrambling after him with Rivan following. "But I'm sure you'll be fine."

"I should, yes."

"Good," he glanced back at her as they began making their way down the masses of steps. "The Archery Range, as I'm sure you've figured out, is where we train. I like to go now because there's typically no one there to get in my way."

"I see." She nodded, glancing around at the interested faces they kept passing. People were poking their heads out of buildings to look at them but what Revali thought of this, Mipha didn't know. Unlike many others, she couldn't read his emotions at all and she found it both scary and frustrating. 

This probably meant that he was a very private person. Mipha added this to her very short mental list of things she knew about him.

The walk to the Archery Range was silent, although not in an uncomfortable way, surprisingly enough. The air got cooler as they approached, and they even passed some half-melted snowdrifts lurking in the shadows, which Mipha found utterly fascinating. Kaneli had a small library in his office and she had to ask if he had books on the area so she could do some research.

As they neared the area, she quietly asked, "What's something you value, Revali?"

His steps faltered for a moment and he looked at her with no clear emotion on his face. "My freedom. Why?"

Her face flushed and she looked away. "Just curious."

He didn't respond and they continued silently. When they arrived at the Archery Range, they were met by an enclosed building next to a large, very windy field with targets set up at various lengths. Revali led them over to a large rock, taking his bow off his back and Mipha's eyebrows knit together in confusion. "Isn't it a bit windy?"

"That's the point," he took an arrow out of his quiver, nocking it to the bow. "We get high winds here, especially in winter, so we must be able to hit our targets under any conditions. The young people train in that building until they're good enough to start out here."

That made sense, Mipha thought, and as she settled herself to sit on the rock (which was rather cold) she watched curiously as Revali raised his bow. She had heard much of his skills in archery from the townspeople and she was finally going to see it in action.

After a long moment he released the arrow and she watched in awe as it sliced through the air and hit the dead center.

She couldn't help it--she gasped. Revali turned to her with a pleased smile and she fought the urge to gasp again. He had a very nice smile, she realized, and she wondered why she hadn't seen it until now. "Perfect shot?"

"But of course," he lowered his bow, pulling another arrow out of his quiver. "Do you know anything about archery?"

"Uhm, not much. Only that you put the arrow on the string, pull back, and let go to hit your target."

"Hm. I'll have to teach you more sometime," he lifted his bow again and paused, intense green eyes flickering to her. "Only if you want me to."

She nodded quickly. "I would like that."

He nodded, satisfied with her answer, before turning his full attention back on the target. As she continued to watch him practice, she got the feeling that she and Revali could definitely be friends. If she could love him was another thing, one she wasn't sure about, but her old tutor Muzu always told her that love would come later.

And if it didn't...well, she could at least hope they could foster a friendship and navigate this together as friends, if not as partners. 

Barely twenty minutes later, Revali set his bow down, turning to her. "You keep looking at me funny."

She felt her face heat up. She could hardly tell what basic emotion was on his face and yet he knew something was up with her almost immediately. Was she that transparent? "I'm...just thinking about things. I'm sorry if my random question earlier made you uncomfortable or anything."

He raised an eyebrow. "It didn't."

She nodded silently, watching him as he picked up his bow again. Before he could resume training, however, she suddenly blurted, "Do you despise me?"

He froze, going still for a long moment before turning to her, a clear emotion painting itself on his face--confusion. "Why would you think that?"

She ducked her head, picking at some moss growing in the cracks of the rock. "Earlier you said you value your freedom. Me being here...takes away from that freedom. Your freedom to choose. For all I know, there was some other lovely Rito lady you meant to marry before getting roped into the politics of a peace agreement."

"Princess Mipha," the tone of his voice enticed her to look up at him, his expression mostly unreadable again. "I never intended to marry in the first place and if I'm being entirely honest, I was not happy about this arrangement. But the only thing I value as much as my freedom is people being responsible. If I'm not responsible, how can I expect anyone else to be?"

She nodded slowly. "Peace among the kingdoms is more important."

"This is our responsibility," he paused, pinching the bridge of his nose before looking at her again with a sigh. "I do want to get to know you, Princess Mipha. I'd prefer to not marry a complete stranger and I'm afraid I haven't made much of an effort on this front in the past month. But of course, if you'd prefer that we just coexist without interacting anymore than needed, we can do that too."

"No, I--" she took a breath. "I would like to get to know you a bit better, too."

He smiled slightly, a breeze billowing the loose chunks of hair around his face. "Well alright then," his expression fell and he sighed again. "I'm sure I've broken every expectation you had for your life at this point. I'm no King or Prince or Lord, but I am the best of my people and that's what I can give you, Princess Mipha."

Unsure of how to respond, she said softly, "Mipha."

"Pardon?"

She worked up the courage to look him dead in the eye. "Call me Mipha."

He opened his mouth, as if to argue, but then closed it again, instead responding with a curt nod. She nodded back and after looking at each other for a long moment, he picked up his bow again. "I don't think I could despise you anyway. You seem like too kind of a person to hate."

With that, he turned his attention back to the targets, leaving Mipha pondering what on earth had just happened.

He didn't despise her. That made her more relieved than she had expected.

<>

Two days later, he showed up at her door again, without his bow this time. "You should join us for dinner."

She blinked at his abruptness, not having even said hello. "In the communal dining hall?"

He nodded and she lightly chewed on her lower lip in contemplation. She had learned that every citizen ate Breakfast and Diner there, unless the weather prevented them from reaching the building. Eating dinner with every other person of Rito Village, both young and old. If she was being honest with herself, it was intimidating.

As if sensing her distress, Revali added. "You can sit with me. Like Kaneli and the few other highly respected warriors here, I get to sit at the smaller, less crowded areas. But if you don't want to go, that's fine."

"No, I do, I'm just..." She twisted one of her rings on her finger. "I'm just worried I'll get overwhelmed."

A look of understanding flashed in his eyes. "If that happens, just let me know and we can leave, alright?"

He was proving to be a lot more considerate than she had been expecting, especially with the tales she had heard from Saki. Or maybe he was just making an effort for her. It was nice, either way. "Alright. Uhm, what about Lyra?"

"She come if she'd like. Or stay here. It doesn't matter to me."

Mipha turned, looking at her maid. "Do you want to go?"

"I think I'll stay here, if that's alright with you, Your Highness," she winked. "Have fun though."

Mipha pulled a face, turning back to Revali. "Its just us. Oh, and Rivan. Father told him not to go too far from my side."

"Understandable," Revali raised an eyebrow, which Mipha was noticing he did a lot. "Don't you think you'll need some shoes?"

She looked down at her bare feet, her face immediately flushing pink and she ran to the closet. "One moment!"

As she grabbed the first pair she could find, she could hear him laughing. A real laugh that held no trace of malice. For some reason it made her smile and she reappeared at the door with her face red and smiling sheepishly. "We can go now."

He chuckled, leading her down the stairs and out to the large building that was the communal dining hall. People were streaming into the building and as Revali led her into the building, her ears were overwhelmed by loud chatter and the clinking of dishes and silverware. She looked at Revali wide-eyed and he leaned closer so he could be heard. "Are you alright?"

"Its loud!" She looked around. "I'll adjust. Where are we sitting?"

He pointed to one of the smaller tabled near the top of the building, telling her to stay close as they weaved their way through the people. Everyone near them fell silent as they passed, their chatter immediately picking up only moment later. Mipha knew they were probably talking about her and even if people couldn't see her, they would hear that she was in the building.

They reached the table and Revali gestured for her to sit down on the bench. "Stay here. I'll be back with some food."

He disappeared into the crowd. Everyone nearby looked at Mipha curiously before turning to their own dishes. When a shadow fell over her, she turned expecting Revali, instead being met with a strange man with white hair. He pointed to her left. "Is anyone sitting there?"

She shook her head and he sat down, setting his bowl on the table before turning to her. "You're Princess Mipha, right? I'm Teba Falcon. I heard you've been talking to my wife."

Mipha's eyes lit up. "Oh, you're Saki's husband! I'm honored to finally meet you!"

He smiled good-naturedly. "I apologize for not meeting you sooner. I've been on the hunting rotation the past month and my hours are quite tight. Revali's told me a bit about you."

She blinked. "He--he has?"

Teba nodding, taking a bit out of his rice. "Not much, mind you. He's a very private person. But he seems to like you. Which is an achievement on its own."

"Is he really that hard to get to?"

"You have no idea. He's a great guy, just he can be...hard to work with. Especially since he prefers to work alone."

That made a lot of sense. She went to reply when the man himself reappeared, holding a bowl and spoon in each. "Ah, I see you met my friend Teba. He assigned himself, mind you."

"Oh, you'd be lost without me."

Revali chuckled, passing a bowl to Mipha before seating himself on her right. She peered curiously into the bowl. "What is this?"

"Deconstructed Rice Balls."

Mipha took a bite, face lighting up. "Delicious!"

"Kass's daughters keep us well fed," Teba agreed. "Have you been enjoying the village so far, Princess?"

She nodded, swallowing. "Yes. It is a lovely place and everyone here is very kind and understanding. Although it took a bit to adjust to the cooler climate."

"Oh, just wait until winter comes. We'll have to make sure you have some proper clothing by then," Teba took a sip of water. "Do you even get snow in Zora's Domain?"

"Not at all. Just a lot of rain. You can see snow way up on Mount Lanayru's peak, but I have never been there. In truth, I've never touched snow in my life."

Revali's eyebrows shot up. "That will be quickly amended. We get snow as early as October."

The conversation continued like that, Teba asking questions, Mipha explaining her opinions, and Revali occasionally offering comment. 

After that night, Mipha went every evening to dinner. Revali would show up at her door, walk her there, Teba would join them and sometimes Saki, and they would talk all evening about random things. Hunting, weather, cultural differences. Teba was fascinated by the differences between Zora and Rito culture and although he wouldn't admit, Revali found it interesting too, Mipha just knew it.

<>

"What's something you like to do?"

Revali's question caused Mipha to crack her eye open. They were out on the Archery Range and after her several failed attempts to get an arrow to hit the target, she had stretched out on the rock while he had continued to practice. She sat up now, her braid falling over her shoulder (a hairstyle she found herself wearing more and more often) as she thought a moment. "Well, its not nearly as demanding or exciting as archery, but...I like to paint."

"You paint?"

"Yes. Although I haven't done anything in that accord since before I arrived here."

He slung his bow over his shoulder. "Would you show me?"

"How to paint?"

He nodded and she stood. "I can try. My supplies are back at the house."

He nodded again and they made their way down the path towards the village. "What do you paint anyway?"

"Mostly landscapes. But I have done several portraits as well."

"You could do a portrait of Kaneli someday. He'd probably love that."

Mipha's artistic brain was already working out how she'd have him pose. "Perhaps I'll ask him."

They reached the little house, Mipha asking for Lyra to help her gather her supplies. She then took Revali to the least windy landing, setting up her small canvas and beginning to mix some paint. "I mostly just go with the flow, letting my heart guide me instead of my head. I find it easier to be creative if I simply let loose."

She peeked around the easel at the mountains beyond, putting a streak of grey paint on the canvas. "I have no rhyme or reason to it, I just paint. If that makes sense."

To her surprise, he nodded. "I think it does."

She continued on in silence for a while, the shape of the mountains slowly forming on the canvas in hues of grey and white. As she was about to start on the sky above them, she paused. "Revali? In two weeks...uhm, can I ask about the Rito marriage traditions? Is there a certain way this is done?"

He sighed but what that sigh meant, she didn't know. "Well...they construct an arch. Of tree limbs and flowers. And they set it up facing a very specific way. Kaneli always officiates the wedding and he faces to the south the whole time while standing under the arch, with the couple starting facing north. Facing north symbolizes a strong, true union that will head in the right direction."

She set her paintbrush down, completely fascinated. He seemed to be looking beyond their surroundings as he continued. "When the couple turn towards each other, the bride will be facing east, to symbolize tradition and warmth. While the groom will be facing west to show courage and responsibility. Then Kaneli says some speech, they tie a scarf over the hands of the couple to seal their unity, and, uh, they kiss. That's it."

"Interesting," she nodded slowly. "I see direction holds an important part in your culture?"

"It has to do with the wind. The wind is part of us," His green eyes finally flickered over to her. "I...ugh, fine, I'm curious. What do the Zora do?"

"Well, either Muzu or a priest officiates the wedding, depending on who's getting married. They make their way up to Veiled Falls, stepping into the water until they're up to their knees, facing the falls. Then they say vows, exchange rings, and the groom places a flower into the hair of the bride, usually a lily, before they kiss." She paused. "Do the Rito not do rings?"

"Not really, no. We have these hair charms that you braid in. You get those after though," Revali crossed his arms, shifting his weight. "I have a feeling that we'll be following the Rito traditions here."

"Understandable. I am marrying into your culture after all."

He nodded, suddenly smirking. "I could take you to a waterfall if you really want. And you don't mind freezing your legs off."

Her gold eyes widened and he laughed. "I'm teasing, Mipha."

"I'd like my legs intact, thank you."

This caused him to laugh again, an almost fond look settling onto his face. But when she blinked it was gone and he was sighing again as he looked to the mountains. "It certainly feels surreal, doesn't it."

She nodded thoughtfully, looking at the slanting sunlight. "A bit. But I'm sure it won't be that bad."

He looked at her again, a pleasant expression settling onto his features. "No, I suppose not."

They stood silently like that, simply looking at each other.

Mipha would dare to call them friends. Perhaps love would come.

Perhaps.

<>

Already the day was here.

The two weeks since their conversation had flown by, depositing them into August, and Mipha woke to an utter bustle in the village to get ready. Saki had shown up at the door with breakfast, telling her that the dress had been finished and she needed to stop by the clothing shop as soon as she could. After a hurried meal, she and Lyra had rushed there, working around people heading up and down the stairs to prepare.

The dress itself was beautiful, combining the traditional sleeveless dress of the Zora with the ruffles commonly found on Rito dresses. She found she could move far more easily in that dress than any she had ever worn before, surprisingly enough.

In the midst of all the preparation, her father and brother arrived. She couldn't help but cry a bit when she saw them, hugging them both. Sidon was as equally emotional on seeing her, much to King Dorephan's embarrassment. When her father hugged her, he whispered, "I'm proud of you." causing her to look up at him.

"I've missed you."

"I know, my daughter. I know. Hopefully this will not be the last time we see each other."

Right after this short conversation, she was swept back into preparations. Hours flew by until it was suddenly time and everything came to a standstill. They were standing outside, all of Rito Village gathered around alongside her father and her brother. Kaneli stood under the arch. 

This was real. It was happening, right now.

Revali came to stand next to her. "You look lovely."

She glanced at him, taking in the black tunic he wore, embroidered with gold thread. "You look nice yourself."

He chuckled and she took in a shaky breath. "Its not too late for us to just turn and flee in opposite directions, is it?"

"Technically no, but we're not going to do that," he glanced at her again. "Right? We'll be fine."

He was right. They'd be fine. They were going to work through this as friends. She honestly doubted anything was going to really change, and she didn't think people would start expecting things from her. At least, not immediately. 

Kaneli cleared his throat, the onlookers following silent. "You may approach."

Revali offered Mipha an encouraging look. Although she thought he looked incredibly sad. She didn't blame him.

They came to a stop in front of Kaneli, who began reciting about the ties of bond and how they should treat each other. Mipha was barely listening. There was a roar in her ears that she couldn't drown out. This was happening. This was happening and she couldn't back out. 

"Turn towards each other."

Mipha did so numbly. The afternoon sun was warm on her back and it made Revali's face seem to glow.

"Take each other's hands."

They did as instructed, Revali grasping her hands firmly but gently. They were calloused and firm, a stark comparison to her soft and delicate ones. Kaneli produced the brilliant blue scarf Revali always wore, with his symbol stitched on in white--the legendary Divine Beast Vah Medoh. Kaneli was saying something else as he tied the scarf, but all she could hear was her pounding heart. This was real. This was real, it was happening right now.

This was the end of everything she had ever known.

"You may kiss."

Everything froze, Mipha's golden eyes flickering up to Revali's green ones. He nodded ever so slightly and she closed her eyes, feeling his breath on her face before his lips brushed hers. She could hear cheers rise up from the people, and she gripped his hands like a lifeline, eyes fluttering open as he pulled away. They stared at each other while Kaneli announced the finality of the union. 

It was done.

<>

She moved into his house the next day.

It was larger than what she had been in staying in (which she almost found odd, given Revali seemed the type to live light) and had a second bedroom. Lyra would be sleeping in the living room and Rivan was to return to Zora's Domain, his duty done. 

Mipha found herself very quiet and contemplative. Revali didn't seem to have anything to say either. He silently helped her move her things in. For the moment she was sleeping in the secondary bedroom. But it was their house now.

When she had finished organizing her closet, she didn't see Revali anywhere, but found her easel set up in the corner of the living room by the window.

She didn't know what to think of that.

She felt different yet the same. Her father had left that morning, much to her dismay, and she was now practically alone here. 

She still had Lyra at least, who was desperately trying to lighten the mood.  "Hey, at least he's not an angry old man like you worried he would be."

The memory of that conversation did make Mipha chuckle, causing Lyra to grin. "That was rather silly of me to presume, wasn't it? Thank you for being here, Lyra."

"Of course, Your Highness."

Mipha held up a hand. "Please, just call me Mipha now."

Revali reappeared again when dinner rolled around. "Do you want to go to the dining hall to eat?"

She bit her lip, contemplating. "Could I just stay here? You can go if you want to."

He sighed. "Frankly, I don't want to go either."

So they didn't. They ate quietly in the living room with Lyra.

In the following weeks, they fell into a rhythm. Revali got up at his insanely early hours to go train and most often, Mipha would paint until he got back. She would show him what she had worked on, they would eat lunch, and sometimes she would go with him to the Archery Range and try to improve her lacking skills. They started going to the communal dining hall again and would go to sleep in their separate beds. 

Conversation started up again between them, starting with simple a "Good morning" or "Good afternoon.". They became better friends. They didn't discuss their marriage and they mostly seemed to ignore the fact. But, at least for Mipha, it was constantly hovering at the back of her mind. She knew soon enough expectations would come in rolling in. And she was not looking forward to that.

She learned more about him and slowly came to admire him. His parents had both died when he was young, his mother from sickness and his father from a bomb arrow accident. He had worked every day for his entirely life to become the best archer of the Rito, climbing through the ranks despite so many doubting he ever could. She could respect that. 

Weeks turned to months and she woke up early one mid-October morning to discover that the trees had decided it was fall overnight. Brilliant reds and oranges and yellows adorned the world outside and as she prepared for the day, she got the urge to go outside and paint. 

She left her bedroom with intention, suddenly stopping short and making an embarrassed noise. 

Revali stood there with a cup of coffee and his hair down with no shirt on. 

He spun around to face her, green eyes going wide and he immediately set his cup down. "Shit, I didn't realize you were up. I--I'll go change."

He brushed past her, hastily stepping into his room and closing the door. Mipha's face felt like it was on fire and she wasn't sure why. Plenty of men back home never wore shirts, why was this getting to her?

Maybe because none of them look like that.

He was cut, the evidence of his constant training. And she had to admit, he looked good.

His door opened again and he re-emerged in a t-shirt that was clearly thrown on in haste. They stared at each other and he managed to speak first. "Sorry. I didn't know you were up this early."

She said the first thing that came to mind. "Do you do that every morning?"

He ran a hand through the loose strands of his raven hair. "Uh, yeah. Ever since I got my own house, at least. Except in the winter."

"Oh."

"Had I known you were up, I would've put a shirt on."

"Its-" she swallowed thickly. "Its alright."

He nodded slowly, picking up his cup and taking a deliberate sip out of it. "Why are you up so soon?"

"I'm not sure. Just woke up," she gestured lamely to the window. "It looks nice outside."

"Ah, yes, Lady Autumn has made her appearance," his green eyes took her in. "You're going to paint it, I presume?"

She nodded. "I would like to."

"Hm," he set his cup down, sighing. "Mipha, I have to go into the mountains for hunting trip."

To her own surprise, a stab of disappointment went through her. "Oh--"

"I want you to come with me."

Her eyes went wide again. "Y-you do? I've never been hunting before."

"Well, there's a first time for everything. We'd stay up in one of the hunting lodges. I can teach you how hunting works and all that. Your skills with a bow are good enough now," he paused. "Of course, you don't have to go if you don't want to. But I...I would like you to come."

Her head was reeling. Something about this felt very different from the other times he had asked her to go do things with him. "I'd love to."

He smiled and nodded. "Great. We leave tomorrow. I've got everything pretty much ready and if you head to the clothing shop, they should have some hunting gear for you. Trust me, you'll need it."

She found herself smiling back. "Okay. I assume you need to go get ready for training?"

He let out a breathless laugh. "Yeah. Do you want to come?"

"I do."

A warmth she had never seen before settled into his green eyes. "Okay then."

<>

Revali hadn't known what to expect from an arranged marriage. Especially to someone from a foreign kingdom who he barely knew. But what he certainly hadn't expected was to fall so hard so fast. 

Kaneli had told him that he should just try to foster a friendship with her and hopefully, love would come later. Well, later hadn't exactly happened, because Revali had fallen for her barely a month-and-a-half in. She was beautiful and attentive and understanding. She had a nice smile and thoughtful eyes the color of marigolds and don't get him started on her laugh. She was creative and willing to try new things, brave in her own special way. He was terrified with just how fast she had planted herself in his heart and he had no idea what to do or how to act.

So he simply continued to be her friend. 

A lesser-minded man would've forced her into things probably against her will. Revali simply waited for her to come when she was ready. He felt it wrong to expect anything from her (although he knew what the people of Rito Village were going to expect) and above all he respected her. That came before anything he wanted. 

Besides, she had only been there for just over five months at that point. Love would come later. Revali just had to figure out what to do with himself and his feelings until said 'later'.

For the moment he found himself crouched in the deep, constant snows of the Hebra Mountains, helping Mipha aim her bow at a deer. It had been snowing all day thus far, so much that the strands of her magenta hair that had been peeking out from her hood had turned a dusty pale pink. Which added to the camouflage, so at least they had been noticed less since that development. 

He adjusted her arm as she lifted the bow. "Remember to draw up slowly and hold yourself uptight," he whispered, leaning as close as he dared to her ear. "When you draw the bow, you draw with intention and strength," her eyes glanced over to him and he flicked her arm. "And focus on the target, not me."

He heard a muffled chuckle from underneath her scarf as she turned her attention back to the deer, tracking it with her eyes. When it was within range, she fired, and the arrow stuck into the deer's side, drawing blood. She let out a gasp of delight, turning to Revali. "I hit it!"

"Indeed you did," he straightened, watching the deer disappear into the flurry of snow. "Come on, we've got to follow the blood trail before the snow covers it up." 

The blood was bright red against the snow, leading them in a bit of a circle as the deer had, for some odd reason, ran around a tree three times before deciding to move on. They found it about a mile later, lying on its side, dead by a rock. Mipha peeked around Revali. "So what do we do now?"

"Now we--" he froze, hearing a faint sound in the distance. Howls. "We run." 

He grabbed her wrist, dragging her away from the deer. "What--what's wrong?"

"Wolves. They're coming for the deer. We don't want to be in their way."

Her eyes were wide between her hood and scarf and she let him lead her away, dragging her through the snow for several minutes. "Are we okay now?"

His green eyes scanned the surroundings, taking in what he could in the limiting snowstorm. "I think so."

"Aw, and I finally managed to get one."

He smiled gently at her. "Its okay. We're up here for a few days so there'll be plenty of time for you to get another one. But its better not to tangle with wolves. Not everyone survives the attacks. I would've been fine, I've dealt with them before, but I don't know how well I could've protected you."

She stared up at him. "You've fought wolves?"

Another thing he loved about her--her height. She was so small and short it just seemed like it would be so easy to pick her up and carry her around. "Several times. I emerged unscathed."

"Really?!"

"Well," he sighed. "Mostly unscathed. I do have a scar from one. Maybe I'll show you it sometime."

Because it was on his left shoulder blade and from the way she had acted yesterday, she wasn't ready for that. 

Although her hood and scarf hid most of her face, he could tell she was smiling at him. He smiled back before gently tugging on her arm. "Let's go over there."

Despite their best efforts, they didn't really find anything else over the next hours. When it was starting to get too dark, he turned them back in the direction of the hunting lodge, pulling out a torch from his pack. "Hold this for a second."

Mipha took the stick while he pulled out his firestarter, getting it to catch on the first try. The wind threatened the lifespan of the flame, but it held firm for now. "You ready to go back?"

She nodded, clutching the torch. "Do you mind if I hold onto this? Its warm..."

He chuckled, nodding. "Go ahead. You lasted pretty well out here given you've never been in these conditions."

Her golden eyes lit up again and he forced himself to look away, silently cursing at his racing heart. Technically they were married and he had the right to kiss her if he so chose, but he wanted her to feel comfortable with that. And he highly doubted there was any way she was already that comfortable with him.

"Revali?"

"Hm."

"Do you hear that?"

He immediately stopped walking, gesturing for her to stop as well. Then he drew his bow, firing a confident shot at a nearby pine tree. The whine of a dying wolf lifted up followed by growls all around them. Revali drew another arrow, firing another shot into the darkness beyond the ring of the torch's light. Another whine and then barking started up. 

They had been followed by the wolves.

Mipha hovered close to Revali, staring at the glowing eyes circling beyond the ring of light. "Revali..."

"Mipha, I want you to listen to me very carefully," he nocked another arrow, bow ready to fire. "If any get to close to you, swing that torch at them like your life depends on it. Because it might. Whatever you do, don't let them bite you. Their teeth could shred a Goron and frankly I'd like to see you get out of here unscathed."

"What are you trying to do?"

"Scare them off. Usually if you kill enough of them-" he shot another, a pair of eyes disappearing into the dark. "-they'll leave."

"You've killed three of them!"

He shot his bow again. "Four."

She inched closer to him, holding the torch high. "Revali..."

"We'll be fine. Just--LOOK OUT!"

He grabbed her wrist, dragging her back as a wolf launched itself into the air, nearly taking her face off. She screamed and swung the torch wildly, hitting a wolf in the side. It promptly caught fire, letting out a high pitched whine as it fled, blazing into the darkness. For some reason, this wasn't enough to scare off the remaining wolves, one grazing Revali's shoulder and forcing him to shoot it in the head. One lunged forward, snapping the torch right in half as Mipha swung it at its face. 

It took Revali taking another one out for them to finally back off, running off into the darkness with echoing howls. "We need to get moving. Its entirely possible they'll come back," he turned towards her. "Are you--oof!"

She suddenly threw her arms around him, hiding her face in his chest. She was hugging him. 

"That--that was terrifying!" She looked up at him. "Are you alright?"

"I'm fine," he lifted her hand up, which was still clutching the splintered shaft of the torch. "Are you alright? It nearly took your hand off."

She dropped the wood, letting him turn her hand over to check for any damage. He paused, glancing up to find her eyes trained intently on him. He swallowed thickly, lowering her hand. "Everything seems to be in order."

"Uhm, yes."

He nodded, releasing her grasp and looking away. "We need to get out of here."

They managed to make it back to the hunting lodge without further incident, making sure to lock the door securely behind them. While Revali got started on a fire, Mipha dug into their supplies to throw together a dinner.

It was when it was warm enough to take their jackets off that Revali felt the spike of pain, causing him to grunt. Mipha's head immediately snapped up, an alarmed gasp rising up from her. "You're bleeding!"

He gingerly reached over with his uninjured arm, wincing as he prodded the wound, his shirt sticky with blood. "Must've clawed me when it came jumping at us," he struggled to pull his shirt off, hissing in pain as he managed to get it over his head. "I...might need your help here."

"Of course!" She immediately dug through the supplies bag, coming up with some peroxide, several cloths, and a roll of bandages. "Ooh, this looks really bad."

She melted a bucket of snow, using the water to clean the blood off. He tried not to wince as she cleaned it up, hissing in pain when she applied the bandage. She looked at him apologetically. "I'm sorry, I'm being as careful as I can."

"Its fine. Not your fault," he leaned back against the wall when she finished, careful not to put too much pressure on his shoulder. "Thank you."

She nodded, looking at him almost shyly as she put away the medical supplies. "Of course. Will you be alright?"

He waved a hand. "I'll be fine by tomorrow. Not the worst I've suffered. Stings like a son of bitch though since it heated up."

Her eyes went wide, in response to his swearing or his comment about worse injuries, he wasn't sure. He chuckled, feeling himself smiling fondly at her.

He was screwed. Everything had happened too fast.

Before he could think better of it, he murmured, "I'm just glad you're alright. I'm fine if you are."

Before he could worry too much about what he just said, she smiled and crawled over next to him. "I'm glad to have you in my life, Revali."

His eyes went wide as she leaned over and kissed his cheek before getting up to check the food simmering over the fire. He then chuckled, leaning his head against the wall and closing his eyes. 

<>

Mipha, to her surprise, found that Revali's prediction was right and his shoulder was significantly better. Regardless, she insisted that he shouldn't hunt that day to avoid staining his shoulder. To her surprise, he relented, and they ended up spending the day outside. More like Revali stood by the wall of the lodge while she made what they called a "snowman", something she had only read about.

And once she made one, she made about a dozen more. Large ones, smalls ones. All with rocks for eyes and and sticks for arms. Revali watched her with a smile, going along when she dragged him over to a cluster she had made. "Look! I made people from the village."

"I see. Who's who?"

She started pointing. "The one with all the sticks on his head it Teba and the one next to him is Saki. Kaneli has the piece of bark attached to his face and the snowball with eyeballs is Tulin."

At this, Revali threw his head back and laughed, looking at her with evident fondness. "I see. And who's the one with the moss around its neck?"

She looked away, feeling her face heat up. "That's you."

He nudged her arm, causing her to look back up at him. "I think I look very nice. But hang on, you're forgetting someone."

He knelt down, molding the snow, gathering a few things to adorn it with and after several moments, he straightened. "Its you."

She stared at it for a long moment. And it was in that moment that every thing clicked.

She had fallen for him. The way his mind worked, his dedication, those sharp green eyes...she loved him.

Love came far faster than she had anticipated. And this was not when she had expected to figure it out. Out in the cold, making snowmen.

Life was so strange.

She looked up at him and their eyes met, his captivating green eyes full of a clashing blend of confidence and questioning. In a surge of boldness, she stepped forward, grabbing his brilliant blue scarf and pulling him down towards her, pressing her lips roughly against his. He made a startled noise but didn't pull back, instead wrapping his hands around her waist and kissing her back. A thrill shot through her and she wrapped one arm around his neck, the other gripping his scarf.

This kiss was messy but engaged, such a vast contrast to the one of their wedding day. He smelled like woodsmoke and pine trees and his lips moved with hers, overpowering her and making her knees feel weak.

She only pulled away when she felt her lungs threatening to explode and they stared at each other. Revali's green eyes took her in wildly while she struggled to catch her breath. "Sorry...I...I just..."

"Why in hell," he got out, voice deeper than usual. "Are you apologizing?"

She blinked and he smirked, pulling her closer to him and kissing her again, tilting her head for a better angle as he seemed to devour her. She let out a muffled groan and she felt him smile against her lips before suddenly pulling back. "What are you doing?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Its a bit cold out here, don't you think?"

Her eyes widened and he cackled, lifting her clean off the ground and taking her into the lodge. Where he proceeded to kiss her until she was gasping for air and leaving his mark all over her body.

They didn't end up hunting any more on that trip.

<>

The people of Rito Village quickly noticed the change between the two. They would randomly laugh about something together, Revali constantly smiling in a way most people never even knew he could. Both of them were happier, you could tell, and they seemed to grow closer by the day.

No one had been sure what to expect from an arranged marriage. But everyone agreed that the happiness the two of them managed to find in each other was something they completely deserved.

Love had came.