Of Royal Blood - The Legend Of Zelda

[X] School! (Meet some of Zelda's class!)

Zelda leads you towards the "Schoolhouse" which to your surprise was right next to the dining area you had met up with the Zora after the Sheikah elders revealed both yours and Zelda's destinies. The schoolhouse, according to Zelda and confirmed by Paya, was simply where many of the villages historical documents, scrolls, spare books and the like had been stored, to the point there were even copies of old texts belonging to the royal family. It was actually a fairly large building carefully designed to preserve texts. Zelda's class was held in what was essentially the entrance hall, modified into a classroom by Zelda.

Of course, none of her class would actually be there, since Zelda had disappeared for months. But as Zelda reassured you many of her students liked to play around there, as there was a small cooking station at that dining area and the produce store was right there so one of the adults would occasionally make snacks for the children before Zelda took over the area, which was how she had learned to cook. You don't spot any of Zelda's class though, and the dejected Princess leads you into the building and her classroom. It was a fairly simple affair, a hall with some shelves shoved against the walls, a desk with a chalkboard hung up behind it and a sunken hearth in the center. It did seem to lack desks, instead, it looked like the children sat on cushions with a small wooden table serving as their desks. The chalkboard interestingly enough seemed to have not been cleaned since she had left.

"Hapy birfday techer!" "Happy birthday Zelda!" "Happy birthday!" and similar were written on it, all with varying levels of penmanship and literacy. Zelda didn't seem to be expecting it, as she started to look increasingly despondent as her eyes roamed over the chalkboard.

"You're quite loved by your students," Mipha observes, trying to cheer Zelda up. Zelda though can only let out a long sigh and nod, walking over to her desk. Mipha opens her fanged mouth to say something before closing it, reptilian eyes looking away. "I... I'm sorry, I never realized how hard it must have been to leave..."

"W-we had been discussing it for awhile," Paya's quiet voice interjects, drawing everyone's attention to the girl who immediately shrinks into herself under your stares, "Well... w-we had everything set up s-so it was just a matter of... uhm..."

"I... had wanted to leave the village to get some real practical experience, something I could then teach," Zelda speaks up, turning back to the three of you, "But I just... couldn't bring myself to leave. I knew there were dangers I wasn't prepared for. Then right before my eighteenth birthday, I had a... argument and just... had to leave. Paya decided to stay behind so I just took the horse and supplies and rode off that night..."


Paya seems to withdraw more into herself, a guilt-ridden expression on her face that you make a mental note to ask her about it, however, Zelda decides that moment to clap her hands together, "Let's stop discussing these sad things! We're here in my classroom, aren't you two curious about it?" She asks both you and Mipha, catching the two of you off guard.

"Well..." You begin, trying to think of something on the fly, "What were you teaching your students?"

"Oh!" Zelda exclaims, brightening up, "I was getting them to learn about eating properly by reading to them and getting my class to name examples of healthy things to eat!" She then squats down and starts rifling behind her desk for something, muttering "Where is it, where is it...Ah!"

She then emerges, and you bring your hand to your chin to stop yourself from letting your jaw drop. Zelda was wearing large round glasses of obviously low quality, the kind you remember from books you had borrowed would stereotypically belong to those who spent far too much time rifling through books. In her hands was grasped a thick tome, one you were certain could be used as a bludgeoning weapon.

"Tah-dah! Youko's guide to nutrition! Covering everything from the importance of vitamins for your bodies metabolic processes to how salts allow your cells to absorb-"

"I... didn't know you needed glasses, Zelda," You cut her off before she gets started, causing her to pout and set the book down.

"Well I don't need them, they stop my eyes from getting tired when I stare too long at my slate or books. Paya has a pair as well."

Mipha furrows her brow, before her eyes light up in realizations, "Wait... Zelda, when you would come to me in the morning and say you didn't sleep you were just-"

"HAHA anyways it's late, we should be heading home for dinner," The Princess announces, clapping her hands together as she failed utterly in hiding her intention to change the subject. She quickly marched past all of you to the door, throwing it open after she put on her shoes only for something small to immediately tackle and cling to her.

"Oof! Wha- Cottla?!"

A small Sheikah girl with pure white hair, probably no older than six, looks up to Zelda with a wide bright smile, "Teacher! You're back! You're back!"

Zelda relaxes, and looks down at the girl with a smile, "Yes I'm back, now what are you doing out here Cottla? You should be heading home for dinner."

"Koko is making dinner for Cottla! Koko coming over here because Cottla playing hide and seek!" The girl enthusiastically tells Zelda.

"Who're you playing hide and seek with Cottla?" You ask, trying to appear friendly to the little kid, you were still wearing your armour since you didn't have the opportunity to take it off yet. Mipha herself was hanging back, seemingly torn between wanting to rush forward and dote on the girl and the suspicion being a giant fish monster might not go over well.

The girl turns to you, her smile wide as she tells you "Mommy! I'm going to find her!"

It takes a great deal of willpower to not change your expression as you recall something the moment she said that. Zelda had said Cottla and Koko's mother had passed away. You glance around at your friends, and sure enough you notice Zelda had brought Cottla slightly closer to her while Paya had looked away, hand brought up to her mouth.

Mipha seems confused for a moment until she catches on, and she brings her hands up to cover her mouth as her eyes begin to look watery. You open your mouth to say something but Zelda only shakes her head, mouthing "Don't," to you before looking back down to Cottla, "Well, why don't you go and wait for Koko, we'll sit with you in just a moment."

Cottla pulls away from Zelda, jumping for joy, "YAY! Teacher's joining Cottla and Koko for dinner! YAY!" She then runs off, towards the dining area.

Zelda practically collapses against the doorframe of the school, hands pressing against her eyes as she takes a deep breath.

"Zelda, what..." You begin, unsure of how to broach the topic.

"Dorian... their father... He asked the villagers to not... to not tell Koko and Cottla what happened to their mother, not until they're older," Zelda manages to get out, visibly collecting herself.

"How did she..." Mipha asks, glancing towards the dining area where Cottla had seated herself.

"She was one of the traders with the nearby villages. One day she... she never came back. Dorian went out and...." Zelda chokes, before taking a breath, "He buried her in the middle of the night, he... he didn't want his daughters to see what had become of their mother, or realize what he had done to her killers."

She didn't describe what state Dorian's wife had been in, but from her tone you could guess what Dorian had returned with didn't resemble a human anymore. You can feel yourself grinding your teeth, your hand clenching. It was Mipha who asked the question you wanted to know, her tone dripping with barely contained fury, "Who?"

Zelda looks both you and Mipha in the eyes, the same anger the two of you felt reflected in her own, "Who else? The Yiga clan."

In that moment you sincerely regret letting Ganondorf kill that Yiga assassin before you got a crack at him. Mipha it seems is having similar thoughts, her fangs visible as she silently swears bloody vengeance on that cursed clan.

Paya though didn't look angry, she had turned away from the three of you so you could only see her shaking shoulders, but from the sniffling and her rubbing her eyes you could tell something was wrong.

"Paya?"

"Cottla's mother was one of the few people to visit the manor. She taught Paya how to cook and about our people's beliefs and rituals," Zelda informs you, her tone quiet and filled with concern for the girl.

Paya turns around and walks over, still rubbing her eyes which were starting to become as red as her irises, "I-I am fine. We-we should be there for Cottla and Koko."

Not satisfied with that at all you put a reassuring hand on Paya's shoulder who practically jumps out of her skin, "Hey, if you want to talk about it we're here you, alright?" You tell her, and Mipha and Zelda nod.

Paya's eyes, however, are locked on your hand, her expression alternating between gratitude and utter mortification.

"Anyways, we shouldn't let her stay out there alone," Zelda tells you all to unified agreement, and you all make your way over to the dining area. Cottla takes a moment to notice you all, kicking her legs and humming a song. But when she does she practically jumps out of her seat, eyes wide and pointing a finger towards Mipha.

"YOUR NAKED!" She shrieks, "AND A FISH! A NAKED PERSON FISH!!"

Mipha raises her hands in a placating gesture, trying to smile without showing any teeth, "That's because I'm a Zora, it's okay for us."

"Oh... OKAY!" Cottla says, before sitting back down.

Mipha giggles a bit, before taking the seat opposite Cottla. Zelda and Paya sit on either side of the girl while you sit beside Mipha.

Cottla then immediately launches into an excited telling how she ran around the village today and all the things she saw, but quickly cutting off her story to leap out her seat to point and wave excitedly at someone coming down the road, "KOKO! KOKO!"

You follow the girl's finger to spot the girl's approaching sibling. Koko was a girl barely a couple years older than Cottla, you'd almost mistake them for twins at first glance. She was carrying a large sack, which was slightly too heavy for the girl. You're immediately out of your seat, rushing over to help the girl. Koko freezes when she see's you, even looking a bit scared until she spots Zelda running up behind you.

"T-teacher?!" The small girl stammers out in surprise.

"Koko, it's alright. Link's a close friend of mine, he just wants to help you," Zelda reassures the child, who reluctantly hands her bag over to you. Testing the weight it seems to be filled with vegetables and other ingredients.

As the three of you head back to the dining area you see the others had gotten up but had paused once you and Zelda had reassured the girl, not wishing to crowd her. Walking next to the girl you do notice that her hands had bandages and burns on her hands suggesting an expected clumsiness with cooking. Poor girl seemed determined to cook though. She did look scared when she noticed Mipha, but the Zora Princess too saw her burnt hands and took her aside to heal them while you emptied out the ingredients onto the table and judging by Koko's enthusiastic thank you's this had changed the girl's opinion of the fish girl around completely.

"So Koko!" You say, clapping your hands together, "What did you plan to make with all these vegetables?"

"Koko is going to vegetable cream soup for Cottla!" The girl happily explains.

Cottla's eyes go wide, and she bounces in her seat, "Yay! Cottla love Veggy cream soup!"

You, however, feel a frown tugging at your lips as you look at the ingredients splayed out on the table. Koko seems confused at your reaction until she closely looks at them as well. When she realizes what was missing she gasps, bringing her tiny hands to her mouth, "Koko forgot the milk!"

For a second you think she's going to break down crying, but instead, she simply hangs her head, "But Koko promised Cottla. Koko is a bad daughter who can't do anything right. Koko will never be like mother..."

"T-that's not true!" A tiny voice tries to interject, and everyone turns to Paya, "W-we have some milk at the manor!"

You nod, and then bend down to get eye level with the girl, "And I'll help you make it, and do all the boring stuff, okay?"

Koko and Cottla are completely wide eyed at your suggestion, seemingly in complete shock that they'd be invited to the manor.

"I'll send a message to their father with Elrora so he won't worry. Oh, this is going to be so much fun!" Zelda then practically skips her way back to the school to get some paper as you all start packing up the ingredients.