Life in Zora's Domain

Chapter 52 - She Who Laughs Last Laughs Best?

Summary: Link meets with his former Hyrule army commander who is touring Hyrule upon retirement and shares some memories with him. Mipha and Link briefly discuss Purah's anti-aging rune and ponder the future. Link's memory issues cause him an uncomfortable moment with Mipha, but love conquers all.

It was morning and time for breakfast at Mipha's and Link's house on Mikau Lake. Link had just finished getting dressed and made his way to the kitchen. As he cooked his fish, he thought about how much his diet had improved since he married Mipha. He used to eat all kinds of strange things in the wild. He remembered experimenting with recipes he couldn't even stomach anymore. But now he pretty much stuck to fresh fish, rice, fruit, and vegetables, and that was much better for his health. Come to think of it, just about everything about his life was better since he married Mipha. When the fish was ready, he brought his meal to the table. Mipha, Mila, Midon, Lapha, and young Link were already there.

"Good morning, everyone," said Link.

"Wow! You look spiffy, Dad," said Midon. "What's with the uniform?"

Link was wearing his Royal Guards uniform which was why it had taken him longer than usual to get dressed. He was out of practice putting it on, and it was hard to believe he used to wear it every day.

"My former commander, Feron, just retired and is visiting a few places in Hyrule. He's stopping by the Domain later today to meet with me, so I wore my Royal Guards uniform for his visit. You know, I'm actually still a Captain in the Hyrule Royal Guards. When I became a Zora citizen, Zelda arranged for me to keep dual Zora/Hylian citizenship and she never rescinded my commission. I think she likes the idea of me being available for duty if necessary. But, of course, I am first and foremost now a loyal subject of the Zora Royal Family. Isn't that so, Lady Mipha?"

He kissed Mipha good morning.

"Yes, Captain Link, and I hope you never forget that," laughed Mipha. "Do you have a gift for Feron?"

"Yes. I remember Feron used to collect swords, so I'm giving him a Zora sword as a retirement gift. I don't think he has one," said Link.

"I never saw you wear this outfit, Dad," said Lapha. "It makes you look very soldiery. I like you better in the armor Mom gave you."

"It's just for today, Lapha," said Link. "And I was very soldier-like back then. Later on, I received the Champion's Tunic and after that the armor from Mom. So, once I had those I didn't have a reason to wear this uniform anymore."

"Dad, do you actually remember the time you served under Feron?" asked Mila. "I mean, with all your memory issues?"

"Yes, I remember some of the time I served under him," laughed Link. "But you're right, I also forgot a lot too. He was my Captain over twenty years ago when I was chosen by the sword that seals the darkness. I remember he wanted to examine the sword when I returned from Korok Forest, but it stung his hand when he tried to draw it. He was the one who encouraged me to compete in the Hyrule swordsmanship competition. My life might be entirely different if I hadn't done that. And I wasn't in the Royal Guards when I first became a knight. I had to earn a place in it."

"What did you do when you first joined?" asked Linky.

"I was just one of the soldiers in a unit. We tried to make sure people were safe," said Link. "We would go on patrols to destroy monsters and their camps. Our unit was assigned to various locations in Hyrule at different times, depending on the need."

"And how did you get to be a Captain in the Royal Guards?" asked Linky.

"I behaved myself and did well in combat," said Link. "That flurry rush skill was vitally important. It's how I won the swordsmanship competition. That got me recognized, and I moved up in rank pretty fast after that. I got promoted to Captain when King Rhoam assigned me to guard his daughter, Princess Zelda. I think he felt any rank less than Captain would have been insulting to her. She was already annoyed at having a guardian knight at all, and especially upset that it was me."