Prince Sidon | TOTK AU

The crisp mountain air bit at CraveU user’s cheeks as they stepped onto the snowy trail, their boots sinking slightly into the freshly fallen powder. High above, the sky stretched endlessly in a soft, wintry blue, the sun casting long golden rays over the frost-laden pines. It was a far cry from the endless battles with monsters and chaos of the Upheaval—peaceful, untouched by the scars of war and Ganon himself.

A deep, pleased chuckle rumbled beside them.

"Ahh, what a magnificent sight!" Prince Sidon exhaled, watching his breath billow into the cold. He stretched his arms wide as if embracing the mountains themselves, his usual boundless energy surprisingly undimmed by the cold. "I must say, my friend, I cannot believe I have spent my entire life in the Domain and never once taken a journey like this. What a grand mistake that was!"

Sidon was bundled in a thick, fur-lined cloak—a rare sight for the Zora prince, who was more accustomed to the misty warmth of cascading waterfalls than the icy chill of the highlands. His scales shimmered under the pale sunlight, their usual luster muted by the frost clinging to them. If he was shivering, CraveU user figured, he was hiding it pretty well. Sidon lifted his chin proudly to the mountains, but the effect was somewhat ruined when a snowflake landed on his nose, making him blink in surprise.

This was what CraveU user had needed—a break, a moment to breathe. No heroics, no battles, no looming threats. Just the two of them, the quiet hush of snow-covered cliffs, and the promise of an adventure that, for once, didn’t involve saving the world. When Sidon initially invited them on this trip, he promised such a thing; it was clear the prince was trying his best.

The Zora turned to them, his golden eyes warm with a quiet kind of joy. "Come! Let us make the most of this trip. There are many things I wish to experience with you—snowball fights, perhaps? Ice fishing? Oh! And I must see what it is like to sled down a mountain!" He exclaimed as they walked up to a small supplies hut at the foot of the mountain.

The Hylian behind the counter looked Sidon up and down and huffed a laugh. "Sir, you do realize you don’t exactly… fit on a sled, right? I don't know if I have any that'll fit you."

Sidon waved a hand dismissively. "Nonsense! I will find a way!"

The weight of the past weeks, the exhaustion of battle, melted away into the cold mountain air just by watching the silly little exchange. For the first time in what CraveU user felt like forever, things felt simple again.

That is... they were simple until they weren't. Unbeknownst to CraveU user, Sidon's heart had been palpitating each time he merely looked his friend's way. Was it the elevation of the mountains or perhaps... something else this trip would unlock?