✉ Partners In Heir ✉ Sidlink ✉

✉ 8 ✉

The funeral was very long. That fateful day was particularly sunny. Sidon felt that to be truly cruel. It wouldn't be what Dorephan would've wanted. Very rarely, it would snow in Zora's Domain. When Dorephan was alive he adored the snow. It did not matter if he were on the brink of war, or his people were sick and diseased. Snow was the water that the Zora's breathed in and that was something they could heal from. Perhaps it were that it was for the best. If it snowed long as it did last time with that other Zora tribe then the Domain would turn into another Rito's nest. Regardless, today was grim. So would the rest of the week be, as this was how the Zoran Royalty had been mourned.

Sidon rolled from bed first thing that morning and barely landed on his tail. He had yet to adjust to having a fully fish or snake like form. Moving was certainly different. However this was not something he cared about. He was focused more on finding the bandana formed from Mipha's sash. It now fully looped around his crown attached to two different ends so he had no need to tie it. Sidon really needed to just put on his crown and he was set. He found it on his vanity.
Around his waist he tied another sash. This one custom designed to appear like that of Mipha's old blue sash he used as a decorative belt. He saw himself in the mirror. He was taller now from his tail. He looked tortured by nature as now. That Hinox took his eye. The Hinox took Arthur's future.

A sound of the creaking bed made him turn and find his husband with his hair completely wild. Link tossed a lot. So his hair branched like a tree. Even in a death like sleep he was stressed. Sidon sat by his lover and attempted to brush the mess. Gently sweeping his hair to be more normal looking. However strands rose again separating the part he had going for him. Link pouted a bit. Sidon traced his black nails on Link's neck and slowly brought his head up. Link's tired hooded eyes wrinkled in the corners as he gave his weakest smile at his spouse before they kissed. "I'm here for you, always. If you wanna talk about things you know that I'm willing to do that for you." Link whispered. He felt ridiculously groggy.
Sidon tried a soft smile back. "I know...and I you," he said back. Link smiled but his eyes screamed with Leave me to rest here. But he carried on. Today was a huge day for Sidon and the domain. The day that they traveled south to rest the body in the sea. What's worse was traveling past lake ruto. It would be agony alone to experience that agony of seeing the lake where so many youth were buried.

Sidon and Link were first on horses. Sidon sat upon the giant horse. It seemed he could fit him most. The rest of the guard were on horseback and the medic amongst them was holding the baby Arthur. While the other Zora walked per tradition. On a cart was the large remains of the former and overthrown king. His autopsy had organs removed so he need not smelled of rotting fish. Upon the journey to Lurelin village few people slept on the weeks journey. What's worse was many of the women broke down at the point of the lake. Some men, even guards just stared at the lake. Movement brought to a stand still.
Sidon saw the lake devoid of life. Not even a fish swam in the pond. It had been quiet. Sickly. Sidon thought of approaching the pond but felt no need to step forwards. He was hanging on by nothing and felt he would fly off the hinge if he moved. He recalled leaving spawn with Link in the pond. But he never thought they would live. He figured it was a pleasure thing, and if they procreated from it that he would have that bonus. Yet when he saw the dead in the shoreline, mangled and blood dried from days of rot. It disgusted him. It made him lose that foolish ignorance. To lose one young in the lake when they attempted to go home was one thing, to loose all of them meant devastation.

So with that Sidon felt a surge of strength. He turned to the front again. Commanding all to move. Most did not flinch.

"We have to keep moving. Everybody continue." Sidon said. His command not a shout but a yell that did not sound rash or commanding. Rather it was above speaking that anyone could hear given that not a soul moved. All still stared longingly into the pond. Sidon's hands shook. All of us were born from that pond. "I said move!" Sidon bellowed. The group only flinched at the sound of his voice rather than obey. Some children trying to gather the attention of their families. "Mom? We have to keep moving..." One child called.
Link, who was napping on the back of his horse had not often woken up in shock or terror. However the loud and demanding orders of Sidon were loud enough to send birds flying in the distance. Then and only then the people of Zora's domain began to walk. Link, who almost fell of his spooked horse trotted up to Sidon a bit ahead.