Learning

Pairing: Prince Sidon x Human/Hylian!Reader (no y/n, gender neutral)

Rating: G

Word Count: 1,508

Warnings: none

Notes: Sidon teaches his darling how to swim, because something tells me he’d be an amazing teacher :’)

“Do you trust me, love?”

It was a question you’d heard several times through the course of the day. As soon as you’d divulged to your partner, the crown prince of the Zora himself, that you couldn’t swim, he had immediately offered to rectify the situation. Despite your initial apprehension, Sidon had gently eased you towards one of the more shallow and private pools of water surrounding Zora’s Domain early that morning, his heart and mind set on teaching you to swim by the end of the day. The pool itself was still fairly deep, but not nearly as much as the usual waters around his home.

“I trust you.”

You saw him smile from where he stood to your side above you. He had started the lesson simply enough: he’d stood in the shallow waters and held his hands beneath you as you’d floated on your back. But now that you’d gotten comfortable with the position, it was now time for him to let go so you could get used to floating on your own.

You felt his hands slide away from you, your heart jolting as your body fell only slightly in the water. Sidon must have heard your breath hitch, because he knelt down until only his head and shoulders were above the pool level.

“Easy, darling,” he soothed, “it’s alright, I’m here. Just relax, and let yourself be held up by the water. You’re doing beautifully.”

You took a few deep breaths, closing your eyes as you allowed yourself to lay atop the gentle ripples in the pool. Floating in place was easy enough, and in fact after a few moments you began to find it relaxing.

“Are you ready for the next step?”

You hummed in the affirmative, and your eyes opened as Sidon began to stand again. This time he moved behind your head, sliding his hands beneath your shoulder blades.

“Alright, now I’m going to turn you over,” he said. “Please, do not be alarmed, dear. If you start thrashing about, you’ll be more likely to sink. So just trust me, stay on your stomach, and hold onto my hands. I’ll keep you afloat, so all you need to worry about is keeping your head above water.”

You nodded. Though you attempted to keep your body pliable and relaxed as Sidon flipped you, you felt yourself tense as you swiftly grabbed his hands.

“It’s okay, my love,” Sidon murmured as you struggled to keep your head tilted above the water. He knelt closer to eye level with you, this time only his head breaking the tiny waves. “I’ve got you. Trust me, I will not let you sink.”

You knew. Of course you knew. Prince Sidon had made your safety and well-being his top priority since long before he’d even begun to court you. And now that you were a proper couple, that protective instinct had only become more finely-honed over time.

You knew he would not let you sink. And yet that did not stop you from fidgeting.

“Breathe,” he said softly. “You’re doing perfectly. You’ll be a proper swimmer by sundown, I’m sure of it. I believe in you!”

Sidon always had such faith in you.

His hands held yours, his honey-sweet voice soothing your fears as you began to even your breathing as he suggested. You held his gaze, the foundation he’d given you unwavering as you adjusted.

“Whenever you’re ready, I want you to try kicking your legs,” he said. “Then once you’re familiar with the movement and how it feels, we’ll work on your arms.”

You nodded as best as you could given your chin’s proximity to the water, and after a few more deep breaths you began to move your legs.

“Wonderful!” Sidon chirped. It amused you, in a way; him cheering for you as you performed an action that most Zora knew how to do mere minutes after their birth. But you were no Zora, and as such you possessed no innate ability to move in the water as you did on land.

Nevertheless, your royal lover continued in his praises. Just as he always did.

“You’re a natural, and a quick learner as well! You continue to amaze, darling.”

You cast your gaze to him and smiled in return.

“I think it helps having a good teacher,” you said.

He beamed at you, the tail extending from his head swishing back and forth in the water.

You continued to kick, gaining a feel for how the action felt in your muscles. When you were confident that you had a handle on the motion, you told Sidon as much and he flipped you back over for you to float before moving over to your side once more.

“Alright, now it’s time to put it all together,” he said, reaching for both of your sides. “I’m going to turn you over again, except this time I’ll be keeping a hold on you here instead. That way your arms will be free to start paddling.”

He did as he said he would, gently holding you afloat in the water on your stomach.

“You can use any motion you want in your arms. As long as it’s comfortable for you and keeps you afloat, that’s all that matters. We can go into more complex movements later, should you wish to.”

With Sidon’s hands on your sides, you began to kick your legs and paddle your arms in long strides. Most Zora only used their legs to propel them forward, but you figured if you wanted half a chance at keeping up with your prince, you needed all the help you could get.

“Beautiful!” you heard Sidon say above the sound of splashing. “Just like that!”

Things continued in this manner for several moments, Sidon encouraging you every step of the way until you felt comfortable with the movements. You slowly came to a stop, indicating that you were prepared to take the next step.

“Alright,” he said above you, “are you ready to try it on your own, my dear?”

You nodded up to him and resumed your movements. You felt his hands slowly leave you, faltering only slightly as your body adjusted to relying on your own muscles to keep you buoyant as opposed to resting upon Sidon’s hold.

“Perfect!” you heard him say next to you as you slowly paddled towards the shoreline. “That’s it! You can do it, keep going!”

You were sure your form left much to be desired in comparison with other people of your own species, much less when compared to Sidon’s fellow Zora, but nonetheless you continued. Your destination gently found you, and when your hands touched firm ground you felt yourself being lifted from the water and into Sidon’s arms.

“You did so well, my love!” he said as he spun you in his grasp. “I knew you could do it! I knew such a lovely and dedicated person such as yourself would have no trouble at all!”

He continued to hold you, pushing away from the bank and back towards open water. But this time, he did not let you go, instead cradling you against him as he floated along on his back.

“Having such a good teacher made all the difference, you know,” you teased as you rested atop his torso.

“Ah,” he said, tilting his head down to gaze upon you, “but on the contrary, darling. I think what truly made the difference was you overcoming your fears and indulging me, as pushy as I may have been.”

“I don’t think you were pushy at all,” you assured him, “after all, if I’m going to be with a Zora, it’s only right that I learn to swim. Though something tells me you could still swim laps around me any time you wanted to.”

“I could swim laps around anyone!” he boasted, and you laughed in response.

“I’m well aware, Sidon.”

The two of you spent the rest of the morning and into the afternoon in the water, continuing to practice in between bouts of you laying atop your lover in the water to rest. Sidon remarked more than once about how much more he enjoyed your simple company as opposed to sitting beside his father to learn the various royal duties he’d be expected to perform one day.

As the sun rose to its peak in the sky, you were once again on Sidon’s chest. You rested on your stomach, content to allow him to hold you in place.

“Thank you,” Sidon said softly, “for trusting me.”

You propped yourself up on your elbows and looked down at him. His smitten gaze found yours, and you offered your own tender smile in return.

“You don’t have to thank me for trusting you, Sidon,” you said gently. “It is something that is freely given to you, as is my love.”

You leaned down then, and Sidon tilted his head up to meet your lips with his.

“And you have my love and trust in return, dear one.”

Respect

Pairing: Prince Sidon x F!Human!Reader (no y/n) (takes place before BOTW when most Zora still dislike humans/Hylians lol)

Rating: G

Word Count: 2,055

Warnings: angst, hurt/comfort, fluff

Notes: Being with the Prince of the Zora isn’t easy. Especially as a human. Luckily Sidon knows what just to say to make you feel better.

You should have known better than to try and hide from Sidon. 

Despite having a somewhat “airheaded” demeanor to the average person, anyone who truly knew him knew that the Prince was actually quite sharp and observant. Especially when it came to you.

It was… difficult adjusting to life in Zora’s Domain. Being a human, not even a Hylian, rendered you “less-than” in most of the residents’ eyes, despite your best efforts. You’d relocated some months ago to be closer to Sidon and fully lean into the idea of one day being wed to him, and ever since it had been nothing but a minefield. 

Some Zora welcomed you with open arms, mostly the prince’s personal guard, Bazz, and those who knew him especially well. King Dorephan’s reaction seemed… mixed, to say the least. While he was elated that his son had found someone he cared for so deeply, there was still the issue of one day needing an heir to take over the throne after Sidon passed. And considering humans and Zora had incompatible DNA, biological children with you was impossible. But, to the king’s credit, he had largely put aside such worries for a later date. He was in good health, and Sidon himself still likely had a couple hundred years of life left in him. 

However, the rest of the Domain at large was… less than pleased with your presence. At first, you’d thought it was simply the council of elders, as Sidon had warned you long before you’d made your courtship public that they would not be pleased with the idea of him being with anyone but a fellow Zora. 

But over time, you began to hear whispers from far more than just the council.

The children thought you strange. You supposed you couldn’t blame them, Zora’s Domain seldom had human or Hylian visitors. A few other Zora scattered about tended to give you angry glares or ugly looks, something Sidon had reassured you was due to them being part of a particular “fan club” of his and likely simply jealous of you as a result. 

These, you could handle. But over time, you began to hear whispers from others too.

“I’m sure it’s simply a phase.”

“He wants to be like his sister so much he just went out and found a random human to be involved with. The novelty will wear off eventually.”

“How could she possibly know enough about the Zora to rule over us one day? She’s a fool, and Prince Sidon would do well to move on sooner rather than later.”

“She tries far too hard to fit in here. If she thinks it’ll ever happen, she’s even more oblivious than I thought.”

“She’s holding him back.”

All of these comments you took in stride. You tried your hardest to shrug them off, to not allow them to affect you. And for the most part, you succeeded, with some aid every so often from Sidon. He would reassure you that you were not simply a novelty, that he loved you dearly and that he would one day wed you properly, despite whatever objections he faced.

But one day, you overheard a certain conversation that simply… broke you.

You’d decided to go for a walk up to one of the waterfalls close to the Domain. Along the way, you came across a small group of guards talking amongst themselves.

“Looks like you lost the betting pool, Tottika. The eight month mark passed last night.”

“I know. Who’s still left in the running?”

“Bazz for sure. He’s put his earnings on them actually getting married.”

Your attention piqued, and you stopped in your tracks to try and keep quiet enough to not draw their own gazes.

“He’s a damn fool. There’s no way. Who else is still in?”

Your heart began to fall.

“Rivan’s still in. She’s betting on another year or so. I think Torfeau might still be in too, but I can’t remember how long she’s bet on.”

Your heart sank, the topic of conversation beginning to dawn on you.

“Quite honestly, I can’t believe they’ve lasted this long. She has to be doing something to trick him. There’s no way Prince Sidon would’ve stayed with a human for this long of his own volition. Not when he’s got so many better options.”

Your chest ached, and you turned back to make your way back to the palace. 

You’d gotten used to snide comments from other residents. Gotten used to harassment from the council and other older Zoras. But the guards… you’d thought that at least they were alright with your presence. You’d even gone so far as to consider some of them your friends. 

Apparently not, considering they’d all been taking bets on how soon you and Sidon would split up. At least Bazz had some faith in the two of you, but apparently the rest did not.

The other voices through the domain fell flat as you made your way back to the quarters you shared with Sidon. As expected, he was still sitting at his desk when you entered quietly, a quill softly scratching against the parchment that he wrote upon.

You had every intention of simply tiptoeing past him and curling up in the waterbed that he’d had built for you since sleeping with him in his usual pool wasn’t always feasible. But, much to your chagrin, he seemed to have noticed your presence anyway.

“You’re back early,” he commented lightly. “You just left, darling. Is everything alright?”

“Yeah,” you mumbled, choosing to forego lying in bed and instead moving towards a nearby window that overlooked your home. “It’s fine. Just didn’t feel well, that’s all. So I decided to come back.”

“Now dear one,” Sidon gently scolded, “there’s no need to lie.”

You exhaled a long breath and turned towards the view below. He was right, there was no use in trying to lie to him. He could read you like the documents he pored over every day.

“I… overheard a conversation between some of the guards.”

“Something tells me overhearing a simple conversation would not normally be enough to upset you so, my love.”

“They,” you began, then paused. You knew getting them into trouble with Sidon would only make the situation worse, but you also knew that Sidon wouldn’t want to be left in the dark about such things. “Turns out they made a betting pool. Of how long it would be before we… before we split. And apparently there aren’t many people still left in the running. In fact, only Bazz is confident that we’ll last long enough to get married.”

“Theywhat?” you could hear the anger rising in Sidon’s voice despite keeping your eyes averted from him. “This is unacceptable. I’ll have to bring them all in for a proper meeting right away and let them know they are to disband this immediately and treat you properly. In fact, perhaps I should call a Domain-wide meeting instead, considering how others’ treatment of you has been equally appalling.”

“Sidon, it’s not that big of a deal-”

“Nonsense!” Sidon began. “I will one day be their king, and you will one day be their queen. They must learn to treat you with the respect you deserve, and I’m sure in time they will learn to love you as I do-”

“Sidon.”

He stopped in his pacing, and you could tell he had turned to where you sat against the windowsill overlooking the domain.

“Please,” you said, then heaved a sigh as you continued, “don’t say anything to them.”

“Why ever not?” he asked, a slight undercurrent of anger that was not directed at you lacing his tone.

“Because,” you sighed again, “the only thing I can think of that’s worse than people thinking poorly of me is people still thinking poorly of me but being forced to treat me otherwise.”

Sidon fell quiet.

“I… I’m not sure I understand.”

“I can tell when someone is being untruthful in their words, Sidon,” you said, still not turning your gaze from the domain below. “I can tell when someone is only kind to me out of obligation, and it only makes me feel worse knowing that as soon as I turn my back, they’ll whisper among themselves. I’d much rather them simply be openly honest than be forced to lie. I can think of few things worse than people being kind to me just because you ordered them to.”

Your voice progressively got quieter, melting into a whisper by the end of your explanation. You curled in on yourself, willing yourself to keep your emotions and tears in check. Crying would solve nothing, and would likely only serve to make Sidon feel that much more determined to try and make his fellow Zora like you more.

The room was silent for some time, the only sound being the muffled waterfalls outside. Then, you softly heard Sidon pad his way towards you, not stopping until you heard him next to you.

“My love,” he murmured in an attempt to properly catch your attention. You turned to face him, finding that he’d knelt down to be nearly eye level with you as he reached a hand out to you. You took it, and he gently brought it up to his lips in a kiss before lowering it again.

“I know I have said it many times before,” Sidon said, “but I think it bears repeating all the same.”

He paused for a moment, as if collecting his thoughts.

“I adore you. There is no one I’d rather be with than you, my darling. The… incorrect opinions of others do not change that. They will never change that. You have done so much in your short time living here, whether any of them realize that or not. And one day they will, I believe in that. One day they will look upon you and recognize you as their queen, as the person I have chosen to rule by my side in the coming years. I am sorry that they seem to be blind to that right now. But mark my words, my love, I will do everything I can to open their eyes.”

Your vision blurred as he spoke, so sure in himself and his ability to make the rest of his people love you. In a way, you felt yourself almost able to believe it as well.

Before you could stop yourself, you surged forward, wrapping your arms around Sidon’s neck and burying your face there. Your breathing hitched and hiccupped, and you felt his arms wrap around you as he let you release the emotions that had been building up. He softly soothed you, running a large hand up and down your back and gently murmuring professions of love to you until you had no more tears to give.

As you felt your eyes dry, you pulled back, bringing your hands up to either side of Sidon’s jaw before leaning in for a kiss. And another. And another.

“Would you like to change into some swimwear and have a nap with me in my pool?” he asked softly when you finally parted from him. “Or would you perhaps prefer to have me share your bed instead?”

You thought for a moment before you spoke.

“I’ll go get changed.”

It only took you a few moments before you walked back in and took Sidon’s hand as he walked into the water. Shortly after joining him, he pulled you to him and leaned back against the wall, allowing himself to float in a sitting position as you sat across his lap. Within several moments, you could hear soft snores coming from your prince, and yet his hold on you never faltered.

Sidon held you close as he floated in his sleeping pool. You nestled your face against his neck, one of his side fins resting over your head as you did so. It was as if he was subconsciously shielding you from the outside world, lulling you into drowsiness as you joined him in sleep. 

You knew he loved you. Never once did your belief in that falter. You could only hope that one day, with perhaps some encouragement from Sidon, the rest of the domain would come to enjoy your presence too.

Reblog this with your own prompts that you’d like to see!

My start:

- Royal Ball
- Tuna Salad
- Clamming up
- Beach day!
- Luminous Stones
- Deep

Small promo of all available products on my bigcartel!

Hey, long time no see!

I bring you some Link and general Breath Of The Wild Sketches cause I finally finished my art portfolio for college!

Today’s Sketch-a-Day prompt was “tall” so ofc I took it as an excuse to emphasize their height difference ^_^ Sidon’s ornaments are NOT accurate lol this is a sketch

Hyrule NPCs bein’ demanding of Link, and then there’s Sidon :3

I like to revisit Zora’s Domain for the scenery :3