Queen Zelda sat in the high seat at the council table carefully examining her nails. She would have to ask Mae to trim them again. Maybe she could paint them as well; a soft lavender would be suitable.
Zelda glanced up at the nobles that filled the other seats at the table. They were still shouting.
"If we just annex the Ordon Province, we can bring in their crops to help feed those here in Hyrule," one pointed out for the tenth time.
"Yes, we all know you are too cheap to pay the import tax for their goods," another countered savagely. "It's fine when you want your specialty goat cheese, but when your people starve it's suddenly too much money."
"Of course you would argue against annexation," a different noble yelled. "Your border territory gets a portion of all import fees."
"None of this would have happened if had fought instead of letting outsiders invade our country," one of the brasher, old men stood up. "They walk in here, and we were ordered to roll over for them like helpless rabbits."
"Enough," Zelda only had to utter the word for the room to go deadly silent.
It always came back to this topic. She knew they blamed her for their current predicaments, for the nearly two year-long invasion by the Twili. She stood, squared her shoulders so her pauldrons flashed in the light, and stared down each of the nobles in turn.
"Would you rather have a harsh but survivable winter or be dead? Would you rather live your life with free will or be incased in a never ending nightmare of twilight? Would you rather have a tyrant usurp my throne and kill every last Hylian out of spite?"
The men in the room had no words for her, not that she would allow them to speak even if they did.
"I did what was best for my people. I would not have them die in a senseless war, and I would not see my country torn apart from another war so soon after the recklessness of my father. What I did may seem like cowardice, but I know it to be wisdom," she held up her right hand and let the Triforce of Wisdom, the symbol of her Goddess-ordained right to rule Hyrule, glow for the room to see.
"We will not annex the Ordon Province against the will of its people," she began addressing each grievance that had been brought up. "We can try to negotiate with the Ordonians for a lower or even no import tax, but we would have to lower the tariffs we charge them as well. And I will remove noble's rights to import fees from their borders if I feel it is being used corruptly."
She gave them all one last glare before sitting down and waving her hand to dismiss them. The nobles quickly left the room, which made her smirk inwardly, until only one man was left with the Queen.
"Damn," Link whistled from his station behind her. "Remind me never to make you angry."
"And here I thought you had learned that lesson already," she turned and smiled at him.
"Well, yeah," he rubbed the back of his neck. "But you sure know how to put the fear of the Goddesses in 'em. Almost makes me honored that you like me so much."
"I'd be alone if you weren't here, Link," she stood and placed a gentle hand on his arm. "After everything we've been through, I don't know what I would do if you weren't here to talk to."
"And here I thought you only kept me around for my good looks and sterling reputation," Link grinned wolfishly.
Zelda laughed in a way only Link could make her, "Your reputation is anything but sterling."
His face fell, making her laugh even more. Link somehow had the magical ability to make her feel like a normal person and not the Queen of Hyrule, whose heart was ice and whose gaze struck fear into the weak-hearted.
"Damn gossiping maids," Link muttered. "What did you hear?"
"Nothing I didn't already know," her eyes twinkled as she made her way to the door. "They have simply come to realize the truth. Under all that charm and good looks, you're actually a total dork."
"What?" Link gasped, hurrying to catch up to her. "They said helping the stray cats made me look sensitive and compassionate."
"Yes, but you gave them all names," Zelda smiled. "And horrible names at that. Why on earth would you name a kitten Python?"
"It had a really cool scar," Link defended himself from his spot three paces behind the Queen. "It needed a cool name."
"And Forsyth? My grandfather would have thought that an old name."
"I don't have to explain myself to you," he grumbled.
They continued their long trek to Zelda's office on the second floor of the library, bickering the whole way. Link followed her into the office and leaned against the desk near her chair.
"You don't think I'm a dork, do you?" he asked, staring at the floor.
"Of course I do," she smiled at him before opening her daily box of papers. "And quite honestly I wouldn't keep you around otherwise."
"You keep me around because you think I'm a dork?" Link rolled his eyes and scuffed his feet against the desk.
"Because if you weren't here, I would have lost my head years ago," she reached up to turn his head to face her. "You keep me sane by not being so serious, stuck-up, self-serving, or any other horrible trait the nobility like to propagate. And I love you, plain and simple."
Link bent down to gently kiss her forehead, "I love you, too."
"Now, go do your actual guard duties," she shooed him away. "And if you see Mae, tell her I would like to have my nails painted."
"Yes, ma'am," Link rolled his eyes again before leaving.
Zelda stared at the door for a bit longer than she needed. Yes, Link was a dork, but he was her dork, and that was all that mattered.