Epilogue

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7 Years Later

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Zelda sighed and stared blankly at herself in the vanity mirror.

Tonight was the night of the suitor's ball, and it was her duty to go out and socialize with the prospective men who traveled from all over Hyrule for the chance to win her heart. According to the counselors, it was well past time for her to find a mate to join her and become King of Hyrule, but that was the last thing Zelda wanted to worry about.

This chore of royalty bored her, and if Zelda was honest with herself, made her bitter.

She already knew the man she wished to court, and the tradition of hosting a ball was nonsense, as well as a waste of everyone's time and resources. But now that Hyrule castle had been more or less restored to its former glory, she had a duty to obey her counselors.

As much as she hated to admit it, she had reached an age beyond when she would've been married had the Calamity not struck, so Zelda knew this situation was bound to arise sooner or later.

She allowed her ocean eyes to drift over to the tattered blue box resting on the edge of the vanity. A bittersweet smile came to her lips as she reached for the box, and the Princess wistfully sighed as she ran her delicate fingers over the ribbon-tied lid.

"Is he coming?"

Zelda jumped at the deep voice from behind her, and spun around in her seat to see Link gently closing the door to her chambers. Her hand that had landed against her chest flattened, and she sighed in relief. "Oh, Link. You startled me!"

Her knight sheepishly grinned and reached for a nearby chair, pulling it up to her side. He sat on the chair backwards with his arms crossed over the headrest. Link blew up at his too-long bangs as he trained his eyes on his princess.

He was dressed in the signature deep-navy royal attire that all appointed knights wore to grand occasions such as this, though Link's uniform had a golden sash indicating he was chosen as a personal knight to one of the royals. More men had worn the golden sash back when there were more royals inhabiting Hyrule castle, but now Zelda was the only one left.

Link's shaggy hair was pulled back in an elegant low ponytail held in place by a navy ribbon, though Zelda could tell he was uncomfortable with the way his hair lay against his neck. He preferred his hair to be long, but would tie it up high or in a messy bun, so the back of his neck could keep cool.

"You clean up quite nicely, Sir Link," she exaggeratedly bowed in her seat, causing Link to roll his eyes.

Zelda turned back towards her box and slowly pulled at the ribbon and lifted the lid, revealing the many pieces of worn parchment contained inside. "But regarding your inquiry...no. According to his last letter, he is still away assisting the distant Zora clan in Labrynna."

Her delicate brows knit as she stared at Sidon's most recent letter on top of the stack, and heard Link huff indignantly at her side. "He's been gone for far too long."

This brought warmth to her chest, as it was obvious Link missed the Zora man just as much as she did.

"He was given a difficult task to help rebuild their home...we of all people should know how arduous a journey it is to restore a kingdom to its former glory." Link thoughtfully propped his face in his hand, and Zelda met him with a longing stare. "But I agree, five years is quite a long time for him not to at least return home for a rest."

Link watched quietly as Zelda placed the lid back over her treasures and retied the ribbon. He looked over his despondent Princess, wishing he could somehow drag his Zora friend back home to her.

Since their return to Hyrule, they had only seen Sidon a handful of times. All the visits had been strictly limited as they were regarding politics and restoration, but once Sidon was ordered to leave for Labrynna to assist the Hyrule Zora's distant relatives, he took to writing letters to Zelda. Link had watched for years as she exchanged lengthy letters with the Zora Prince, and he knew their bond had become too deep for her to even entertain the thought of courting anyone else. When he had last visited Mipha a few months prior, she had been unable to reach Sidon, so she had no advice regarding what Link should say to reassure Zelda of the Zora Prince's return.

Zelda picked up her brush and mindlessly combed through her hair, drawing Link's attention to her unusually elegant attire. Her golden hair was loose - how she normally liked to wear it - but some strands were pulled back and entwined with silk ribbons that cascaded down her back. A pale blue gown that was tastefully modest draped over her body, and a formal shawl rested about her shoulders.

"You look beautiful, Zelda."

She snapped her head up and flushed at his returned compliment. Link chuckled as he was reminded of how she had been flustered in much the same way when Sidon had unleashed his princely charm on her those many years ago.

Zelda tucked some of her hair behind her ear and turned back to her mirror, and Link felt his lips tug into a frown.

Sidon should've been the one here complimenting her, not him. Zelda sadly gazed at her reflection, seeming to come to the same conclusion.

Deciding he needed to give her a moment, Link stood and replaced the chair he had occupied back near her desk.

"I'll wait outside."

"Okay."

Link took his leave, and Zelda looked down at her hands in her lap. How could she go out there and pretend she was enjoying the company of men she never would want anything to do with? It was especially difficult because the counselors were growing weary of her putting off picking a suitor, and didn't believe that the Zora Prince was worth holding out for.

Zelda glanced at her box of letters, then met her reflection in the mirror and steeled her resolve.

She stood slowly and made her way out of her chambers to meet Link, who offered her the crook of his arm. "If you need an out, just let me know."

Zelda looked up to meet her knight's caring face, and tightened her grip on his arm in thanks.

The counselors may not have thought highly of Sidon, but to Zelda, he was worth waiting for.

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The moon was high in the night sky as the ball was in full swing.

Zelda gulped the clear air on the outside balcony with fervor, mentally thanking Link for distracting the counselors and allowing her the chance to slip away for a while. Her feet were tired from milling about while her eyes were strained from having to steel herself from rolling them after every pompous remark made by her potential suitors.

Seriously, who on the council approved of these guys?

Zelda kicked off her shoes and propped her face in her hands as she leaned on the banister and looked out over the valley. A refreshing breeze blew across her face, and she breathed deeply as her eyes focused in on the mountain peak near Vah Ruta in the distance. It had already been so many years since that night, but the memory of Sidon's lips and body pressed against hers still caused her skin to tingle and her heart to race.

Zelda closed her eyes and channeled her thoughts to the Goddess. Sidon's most recent letter outlined the progress he was making across the ocean. She was glad for him, really, as he seemed to enjoy the work and bonding with his distant relatives, but Zelda couldn't decipher what his intentions were. They had never explicitly entered into a courtship, and it felt too brash for her to straight up ask him what his thoughts were regarding their relationship, especially through a letter.

But Zelda couldn't help but want more.

She wanted him to come home to Hyrule.

She wanted to properly ask him if he'd enter into a courtship with her.

She wanted to see if he would welcome the idea of spending his life with her, and become King of not just the Zora Domain, but all of Hyrule.

Zelda groaned and pressed her face into her hands, willing her cursed blush to disappear.

Approaching footsteps signaled Zelda to Link's return, and she composed herself before leaning back from the banister. "So it seems the counselors already managed to chase you off, huh Li-"

Her playful greeting was cut short as she turned to address her knight, but froze at the sight of the last person she had expected to see.

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Sidon tried to calm his haywire heartbeat as he tentatively approached the Hylian Princess.

Goddess, she was even more lovely than he remembered.

Zelda blinked up at him incredulously as he came to a stop a few feet away from her.

"Unfortunately, Link has been taken hostage by a rowdy group of maidens. Poor guy will probably be batting them away all night." He cracked a friendly grin and bowed before her, but Zelda remained awestruck with her lips slightly parted in confusion. She stared up at him, as if not comprehending his presence. "Zelda. I have been looking everywhere for you."

The woman in front of him visibly flinched when he spoke her name, but it shook her out of her reverie. "S-Sidon! I thought...I thought that you were still away in Labrynna?"

He pursed his lips in shame, "I was, but I decided to make haste and return once I caught word of this ball being held."

Sidon stepped closer to her and tried to stifle the butterflies that had erupted in his stomach. It had been too long since he had last laid eyes on her, and he was amazed by how much she had grown in just a short amount of time - it was astonishing how quickly Hylians matured, whereas Sidon probably still looked the same in her eyes.

The image of the uncertain girl from years ago was gone, and in front of him now stood a regal woman who had grown into her adulthood to take on the weight of New Hyrule. Sidon could sense something had shifted in her being.

She had pride in her aura that was not present years ago, and it took his breath away.

Zelda flushed and averted her gaze, only able to utter a small "oh" in reply.

"I'm sorry I didn't warn you of my attendance. I guess I just...wanted to surprise you…" He trailed off and rubbed the back of his neck, realizing how awkward this must've been for her. They had only spoken through parchment and ink for the past five years, and here he was showing up so casually out of nowhere.

Zelda pressed her hand over her mouth and her eyes crinkled. Sidon's breath skipped, thinking he had brought tears, but realized she was stifling her laughter. "Well, you definitely surprised me!"

She bowed slightly and beamed up at him, "Prince Sidon of the Zora Clan, welcome back."

Sidon chuckled at her achingly familiar antics that reminded him of their time spent together at the Domain. "It is good to be home. Labrynna is lovely, but it could never compare to Hyrule."

He joined her side at the railing and the pair turned back towards the scenery. Zelda peered up at him, "I know you have written to me about your time there, but I do hope you will tell me all about it now that we are together in person."

"Of course. I intend to go back to the Domain for a bit before returning overseas, but I'd like to spend a week or so here catching up with you and Link, and offer my assistance with any labor around the castle. But from the looks of it, you fared very well with the restoration."

"So you are...returning overseas soon?" Zelda quietly asked, not even registering his compliment regarding the castle.

"I still a have a few more things to tend to over there, so yes, the plan is to return and finish my assignment." Sidon looked away from her pained gaze and gulped. He has spoken so level-headedly, but his heart was erratic at the thought of leaving her again.

A tense silence permeated the air around them, and Sidon unconsciously clutched at the cape draped over his shoulder. His amber eyes roamed to the sky above. A flash caught his attention, and his jaw dropped slightly as a lone star fell across the sky before a flurry of other stars followed in its wake.

"Zelda!"

His hand shot out to rest on her shoulder. Zelda picked her head up and gasped loudly at the sight. The pair watched in awe at the cascade of stars flutter across the midnight sky, both of them transported back to that romantic night they shared years ago. After the stars fizzled out, Sidon turned to face Zelda, his hand still on her shoulder.

A surge of confidence and an aching desire to voice his feelings spilled out and overrode the rigid sense of formality he had been painfully trying to uphold since arriving. This feeling was not unlike the one he felt when he become emboldened to kiss her back then.

Zelda brought a hand up to her chest and Sidon could feel her body tense in anticipation. Her large ocean eyes sparkled up at him, and Sidon licked his lips before spitting out, "I came here because I wish to ask for your hand in courtship!"

He did not allow his gaze to waver, and kept locked on her face as he awaited her reaction. It was bold of him to assume she would accept his proposal to court him. Sidon was an unsightly Zora man of lower royalty, and definitely not one fit for being her husband, much less the King of all of Hyrule. From the chatter he had overheard from the ballroom, it seemed many men were only there for the title marrying Zelda would bring, and it caused Sidon's blood to boil.

But...what if she had moved on?

She was hosting a suitor's ball after all. What if she had already met a man and promised herself to him. It was late enough into the evening for her to have been swept up by another, even if his intentions were not pure. Nausea bubbled deep in Sidon's belly, and he cursed himself for saying such a brash thing unprovoked.

No...this was Zelda. She would not diligently reply to his lengthy letters unless she enjoyed receiving his reply. She would not open up to him so freely if she did not trust him with the words that sprung from her heart. This was the same woman who shared his feelings back then, and Sidon could only hope they hadn't wavered in his absence.

Zelda's eyes widened, but she had not spoken, and Sidon instinctively withdrew his hand from her shoulder.

"Wait!"

Warmth enveloped his hand as Zelda's smaller hands grabbed onto it, and Sidon's heart practically stopped. Tears welled up in her eyes and Sidon swallowed at the unsightly image of his monstrously large hand being cradled by her thin fingers.

"I'm sorry. Please ignore what I said. I spoke out of turn," he murmured in embarrassment and clenched his jaw. Her hold on his hand tightened.

"Why would you show up and say the one thing I've waited years to hear, only to take it back before I even had a chance to reply?"

The tears that had been fervently hanging onto her lashes finally fell, leaving a shining trail down her flushed cheeks. Sidon gaped down at her, overcome with shock at her words.

"I had wanted to ask the same of you, but you had a mission away in Labrynna...I thought for sure you were to be wed to someone over there. This ball was all the counselors' doing! I wanted no part in it, because I had one day hoped to ask the man I truly admire if he would stay with me. He has been gone for far too long and the counselors were not pleased with my decision."

Sidon's chest was achingly tight as he quietly listened to her confession.

Zelda released his hand to paw at her face, though words kept tumbling from her lips, "I cherished getting to know you through our letters, and it wasn't fair to ask you to consider courtship with me when you were working so hard over there. I tried for years to ignore the feelings you stirred within me, but I couldn't! My thoughts ever since that night have always remained with you!" Zelda cried, "And here you are, casually showing up after all this time to say the words I only dreamed of ever hearing, and yet you take them back so easily as if-"

Sidon shushed the exasperated Princess as he pulled her close and held her tightly in his arms. She sobbed into his stomach and Sidon gently ran his clawed hand through her hair in an effort to comfort her.

Despite his calm facade, his mind was racing and his heart yearned to burst free from his chest. The overwhelming feelings of joy and relief at her confession coursed through his body, but shame and guilt also twisted within him at hearing of the loneliness she had felt in his absence.

He scooped her up so that he could hold her more comfortably, and her arms flew to grip around his neck as she buried her face into him. Sidon whispered sweet apologies over and over again into her hair.

After her breathing had become regular and her tears had dried, Zelda pulled away to look him square in the eye, but hesitated to say anything. Her hands were fisted against his shoulders, causing his scales beneath her touch to feel overheated.

Sidon couldn't help but try to lighten the tension with a playful smirk, "So, is that a yes?"

She held a hand up to cover her mouth and bashfully looked away from his intense gaze, "O-Of course! Was my embarrassing outburst not proof enough of my feelings?"

Sidon laughed, causing Zelda to flush an even darker shade of red. He gently placed her down so that she was sitting on the balcony rail, and he leaned in close as he brushed her stray bangs away from her face.

"I can't believe I left you for so long," he murmured under his breath as he drank in her dressed up appearance. Jealousy flared within him at knowing she was dressed up this way to be presented to all the conniving men in the ballroom. "We both have suffered because I couldn't come clean about how my feelings for you have only grown since that night, and for that, I am sorry. I must be the most foolish man in all of Hyrule."

Sensing her retort coming, Sidon bridged the gap between them to silence her with a chaste kiss. It was a short, simple touch, but it managed to ignite sparks in Sidon's belly.

"It's not your fault entirely, I could have written my feelings down for you at any point," Zelda muttered as she tried to look anywhere but at Sidon's handsome face.

He cupped her chin, drawing her attention back to him.

Zelda pouted as she admitted, "Our meeting back then was so quick and passionate, that I worried I was holding onto a fleeting moment."

"You and me both."

They studied each other and tried to come to terms with confronting the feelings they allowed to lay dormant at the back of their minds for so long.

"Your counselors do not approve of me, do they?" Sidon begrudgingly asked.

Zelda shook her head, "It's not that they don't approve of you, I think they just got tired of me waiting for you. They are just in a hurry to fill the King's role. Like I said, most of us probably figured you were being shipped off to fulfill an arranged marriage."

A deep hum rumbled through his body in understanding, "That makes sense, seeing how my assignment was so lengthy. Lucky for you, all the eligible Zora royals over in Labrynna are male. They're not really my cup of tea."

Zelda breathlessly giggled, and Sidon cradled the side of her face as he leaned in close to whisper in her ear, "Besides, I've always had a thing for pretty Hylian Princesses."

His sharp teeth scraped across the cuff of her ear, and Zelda yipped as she flung herself back from him, wobbling as she tried not to fall backwards over the railing.

Sidon's hands moved to her waist to steady her, and her hands rested atop his forearms as she looked up at him with a shy smile. Her cheeks were still flushed a brilliant shade of pink. "I think...this might somehow be the Goddess's doing - the circumstances of us meeting."

The Zora Prince quirked his brow down at her, asking her to elaborate.

"I last saw a star shower with you that night, and suddenly you appear just in time for us to witness the rare phenomenon together once more."

"How do you know they are rare?"

Zelda averted her gaze and scratched her cheek, "Well, I may or may not have extensively researched stars and the recorded history behind star showers…"

Sidon chuckled as she trailed off, and he leaned back in for another kiss.

"I'll be sure to offer her a plentiful prayer tonight, then," Sidon murmured against her lips, causing Zelda to smile as she kissed him back.

Unlike their passionate first kiss all those nights ago, the kisses they exchanged now were soft and tender, conveying to one another the uncertain, hesitant longing they had developed with their distance. They remained sharing fleeting, ghostly kisses as they caressed each other's faces and hands, relishing in the meeting of their bottled up feelings coming together once more under the same stars that bore witness to their first kiss.

The sound of footsteps lulled them back to the present, and Sidon turned to address the one responsible for interrupting his long-awaited reunion with the Hylian Princess.

His eyes widened at seeing Link rounding the corner, looking disheveled and out of breath.

A mischievous grin tugged at Sidon's lips as recognition dawned on Link's face at seeing his friend, "Ah, Link! I'm surprised you managed to escape the maidens' grasp!"

Link huffed as he debated whether to glare or smile at his large Zora friend, but a movement caught his eye as a hand grabbed Sidon's bicep. He realized it was Zelda's hand that ushered Sidon to move aside so she could poke her head around his large form to see her knight.

She was delicately perched on the balcony railing, and Sidon's hands rested on her hips as he towered closely above her.

Link felt his face light up at realizing he must have interrupted an intimate moment.

He bowed quickly, "The counselors demanded I return you to the ballroom."

Zelda's rosebud lips fell into a frown, and Link straightened and shot her an apologetic look. His ocean eyes looked to Sidon, then back to Zelda, and he arched a bushy eyebrow. Sidon glanced down at Zelda to see her raise both of her eyebrows before demurely blinking at Link with a small smile.

Confused, Sidon turned back to Link for answers, only to see his friend smirk and nod before bowing once more. "I will tell them you will be following after me shortly. It is good to have you back, Sidon."

"Thanks," Sidon replied awkwardly, unsure of the exchange that just occured between his Hylian friends.

After Link made his exit, Sidon bent down so that he was eye-to-eye with Zelda. "What was that all about?"

"What was what all about?" she parroted innocently, though the gleam in her eye told Sidon she knew exactly what he meant.

"That thing with Link…" He felt heat rise to his cheeks. A weird sense of shame struck him at knowing he was not close enough with them to understand the meaning of their nonverbal communication.

"Oh, he asked me if you accepted my courtship invitation." She said it so simply, as if it should've been obvious.

Sidon felt his eye twitch, as he knew she was toying with him. "And...how did you respond?"

Zelda shrugged, "I told him you accepted."

"Just like that, huh?"

"Just like that."

Sidon shook his head as he chuckled and helped her down from the balcony railing, "To be fair, I was actually the one who asked you first, so you are the on who accepted my invitation."

"Alright, whatever you say," she said with a mischievous wink.

Sidon shook his head fondly as he watched her slip her shoes back on. Zelda reached for his hand, and they began to shuffle towards the archway leading back into the ballroom.

Zelda stopped, a thought suddenly striking her.

"Sidon, what about King Dorephan? Does he not have someone in mind for who he wants you to court and wed?" she asked hesitantly.

The Zora Prince's eyes trailed up in a thoughtful manner, "Well, he had been implying about a woman he approved of and wanted me to seek out. Admittedly she is quite beautiful, and has features that I particularly find desirable in a mate."

Zelda froze, and tried to pull her hand away from his in panic. His stronger grip latched onto her hand, not allowing her to move away.

"That woman is the Princess of Hyrule, if you can believe it. She had come to visit our Domain many years ago, and we shared many adventures! I happened to fall in love with her, and it seemed that my father noticed this back then. He encouraged me to pursue her when the time was right."

His bright amber eyes bore down into her soul, and Zelda stifled a whimper in frustration. She punched at his arm with listless pats as he grinned down at her.

"I guess I deserve that," she pouted.

Sidon laced his fingers with hers and began to drag her towards the ballroom. "Do not ever doubt yourself or my feelings for you."

Zelda stared up in awe as the golden light from the ballroom illuminated the back of Sidon's head as he turned to encouragingly smile down at her.

"Come! I want to meet these counselors of yours and prove to them I am worthy of being the one by your side."

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A/N: Ahhh, gosh I can't believe we have finally reached the end! And funny enough the epilogue turned out to be longer than any of the actual chapters of this story! I just got on such a roll writing it...I think it was worth it though to reach a satisfying, hopeful ending for these two! Please, feel free to let me know your thoughts ^^

And thank you to everyone who has followed along with this story! I've mentioned it a lot, but this is my very first attempt at writing a chapter fic, and I can't believe we reached 15 chapters! It's oddly satisfying, though I know I wouldn't have gotten here if not for your encouraging reviews, as I tailored much of the second half from the feedback I received. Again, thanks for reading and enjoying Cascading Stars xx