Those Summer Nights |Sidon x Reader|

16. Sudden Changes

Me in June: I wanna write a bunch this summer! Look forward to more updates!
Me in July:
Me in August:
Me in September: aha. ahahahaha. ahhhhhhhhhhhhhh,,,,,,

...

The rest of the day is a hectic blur of action. You watch as Sidon is tugged from one part of the valley to the next, Zora of all shapes and sizes eager for a chance to speak to the newly returned prince. Half of you found it humorous, whereas the other half of you took pity upon him. Sidon looked positively flustered and very much out of his element, and considering the fact that he'd been gone for decades you weren't at all surprised by this.

You tried to imagine how he must have been feeling. On the one hand, you assumed he was thrilled. He was finally home again and was being greeted with open arms by his people. He was surrounded by his fellow Zora and he would no longer have to hide in the lake or that small cave. On the other hand, you could see that he may have been filled with anxiety at the same time. Returning to his family also meant being thrust into a new world of responsibilities. Not to mention the fact that with his sister's passing, Sidon would be taking on the duty of heir to the throne as Bazz had mentioned to you.

As you follow Sidon you attempt to bury these negative thoughts. It was a time for celebration, you could wait to fret about these concerns at another time.

If anything, what you should have focused on was how incredibly awkward you felt. You were likely the only human that had ever been allowed within this valley. As you walked beside the prince, admiring the fields for farming and curiously gazing at the lake and buildings down below, it was impossible to ignore all of the gazes boring down at you.

It seemed that the crowd could scarcely choose who to stare at. Their beloved prince, or you, the outsider. Every time you turned your head there seemed to be at least a dozen pairs of golden eyes looking back at you. It made the hair on the back of your neck stand up, your skin prickling with anxiety.

'They don't want me here,' you think to yourself nervously, forcing a smile on your face as you look up at Sidon.

As he begins to be guided away once more, you're instead stopped by a deep voice calling out to you. With wide eyes you realize that it's, in fact, the king who is now commanding your attention. You quickly spin on your heels to look up at him, still in awe of his sheer size and stature.

"Young human," he greets you in a kind tone with a gentle laugh, "please, walk with me."

"Oh- alright," you stammer, nearly tripping over yourself as you move to stand beside the monarch. Standing beside him causes you to feel somewhat inadequate, and it doesn't help that you're tuckered out from the hike with legs caked in dirt and grass. From this angle you had to crane your neck to peer up at him, his figure casting a shadow over you as the Sun hid behind his form.

He trudges along, marching down the slope of the valley in the direction of the lake. You tentatively trail alongside him, slightly anxious to become separated from Sidon but not wanting to risk displeasing his father by denying his request. As you walk beside him you take the opportunity to examine his features. Where Sidon resembled a shark, the king's appearance leaned more toward that of a whale. It wasn't only his sheer size that differentiated him from the other Zora, as the vibrance of his scales seemed unique to him alone. These facts, compounded with the intricate details in his jewelry, made it so that he radiated a powerful energy. One would have to be an idiot to look at him and not immediately realize that he was royalty.

Once the pair of you had arrived at the water's edge, he spoke. "I would like to thank you once more," he says, and even in a softer tone his voice still carried through the air, "I fear that I may never be able to express the full depths of my gratitude to you."