To his credit, Auru didn't even flinch.
"Greetings to you, too, Dotour."
"How dare you bring this filthy son of a baba to the council!" bellowed Dotour.
William brought his hands up in surrender, "He was one of the King's most trusted advisors, Dotour, and he has come back to work for the Crown. How was I supposed to not let him come?"
"By not letting him come, you idiot."
"Well, since I am here already, why don't you let me stay as a hearer-"
"You can't just come whenever you want and do as you so damn please."
Aside from Lady Ria, everyone had their eyes open in surprise. Kafei tried to make eye contact with Tela, but she was fixated on Auru.
"Go away before I call th-"
"Sir Auru, may I know why you have come?"
"Princess..." tried Dotour.
"As William said, I have come to offer my services-"
"He left, your Highness," Dotour was trembling in anger, "he left our King back when your mother died, you must know that."
Zelda nodded, "So I was taught, yes. Anything to say, Sir Auru?"
"That it is true. I left because I couldn't stand another second more inside this Castle, and I left your father grieving and with a small daughter in the hands of our responsible Doto-"
"How dare y-"
"Sir Dotour, please let him finish," Zelda nodded to Auru to keep on talking.
"And I have come to see if I can be of help to our current sovereign. That is all."
Dotour muttered under his breath. Zelda pondered for a second.
"We can let him stay as a hearer, Princess. If anything he can give us precious insight-" William tried to smile to the other members, make them agree.
"Are we going to let anyone who was once helpful to the Crown to come back and enjoy privileges?" Lady Ria had scorn on her face.
"According to the law, yes, we should. Every councilpeople that has, in one way or another, helped the Kingdom deserves at least to be treated as a guest of honor upon retirement."
"He did not retire, though, Lady Tela," growled Dotour.
"But his achievements surely supersede that, he was the one who fixed our import taxes and made the blueprints for the roads we now enjoy."
Auru looked surprised, William snickered.
"Yeah, everyone knows that, it's in the textbooks," William sat on his chair, "Princess, as always, the last say is yours."
Zelda frowned, "I don't see why we shouldn't let him stay."
Dotour looked as if he had been sucker punched throughout the meeting.
At least nobody brought up Link's name again.
Dotour had tried, with witty remarks, clever comebacks and even two or three threats, to wake people up from Auru's dumbning aura. But as always, Auru smiled and people believed him. He had arrived, and as soon as people heard his name they would let him do what he wanted.
As always.
Dotour had tried to remind her Majesty that Auru was not a friend, but all she did was hear him out and assure him that she would be cautious.
Dotou went to Lady Ria to unwind, they had to protect the Princess. They had to.
William led Auru through the hallways, he told the man about the princess' favorite flowers, about her life since Auru had left, William gestured towards a patch in the gardens.
"That is her Majesty's favorite place, full of green, smells nice, and it's hidden from prying eyes."
Auru took note of the place, "Think she will let me stay?"
William shrugged, "Whatever the case, I tried," he gave Auru a knowing look, "I helped you. Also, you have a present for her now, she'll appreciate that."
Auru patted the package inside his clothes, "You want me to stay, I assume?"
"You were capable enough back in the King's council, you'll be able to at least give us good insight."
Auru snickered, "Capable enough?"
"Yes, I mean, you never fixed the succession issue, nor the noble mentality, you didn't handle the Bread famine," William raised an eyebrow, "and you had everything in your power to curb it. You couldn't stand up against the King, and you ended up leaving Dotour to clean the mess. So, yeah, kind of capable."
"I'll have to go read about you, so I can smear your mistakes in your face, too."
William bowed his head, "Please do."
The guards eyed them from afar.
"For what is worth, I appreciate your help."
William laughed, "Please, I don't need your gratitude. We work with favors. You owe me one."
William stopped walking, "I hope you stay, Sir Auru."
William left with an energetic pace.
"Son of a baba," breathed Auru.
The guards let him in after giving him a glare full of hate.
Princess Zelda was sitting with the Sun at her back, her hair shone and the light made her face look darker, more menacing. Auru coughed in his hand, and she raised her head, her eyes still glued to her papers.
"Sir Auru," she greeted after a quick glance.
"You Highness."
She finished signing a document and gave him her full attention.
"It is a pleasure to finally meet you, Sir Auru."
"You honor me, your Highness."
Silence filled the room, Auru waited for Zelda to speak, but she had a blank face and gave no sign of moving.
Auru coughed. She was, without a doubt, his friend's daughter. Only a glare and he was shifting uncomfortably, like he had done something wrong.
"William is a really charming man."
Zelda snickered, "That would be an understatement, Sir Auru. He is conniving, audacious and fearless."
"He gave me a present for me to give you."
Zelda softened, "Please take a seat, Sir Auru, forgive my rudeness."
Auru did as told, "You sure resemble your father."
Zelda looked surprised, and then softened, "Thank you, Sir Auru."
Auru looked at her. She was beautiful, her face didn't resemble her father much, but her stance and poise spoke louder. She was waiting for him to talk. He fixed his clothes, tried to give the movement a nonchalant feel, tried not to show how nervous he was.
"As you know, Link asked me to assist you. I could have done it from behind the scenes, but I thought that I could be more useful by being sneaker, and helping you with others not knowing."
"I must admit, I was pretty shocked to know that Auru Po'hra was coming here. I was even more surprised to see you barging in a councilmeeting."
Auru wondered whether she was proud or pissed. Her face remained impassive.
"I hope you'll find my approach the right choice."
"We'll have to see."
Auru frowned, he was here as a friend.
"I mean no offense, your Majesty, but your attitude is quite..."
Zelda held his gaze, "The only thing I know of you is that you left the King, my father, back when he was facing an uprising that claimed my mother's life. I think not kicking you out of the councilmeeting upon barging in is quite a leeway."
"... I came here because Link asked me to-"
"And I appreciate the fact he asked you all to come assist me, I do. But I can't, in good concious, give you things I yet fail to think you deserve. Link asked me to trust you, and I have, I will, but please... you must know how things work here."
Auru patted his clothes, took a package out, "I guess I'll put myself to work then. Though, as you know, this is William's effort, not mine."
Auru let the package in her Majesty's table. Zelda moved her hand, gingerly touched the bundle.
"Letters?"
"I have to assume, looking at the uproar mere letters have causes, that you don't usually send letters to eligible men."
Zelda didn't answer, she was opening the package. They were from Link. She looked up, Auru was smiling.
"What...?"
"They were being retained by some noble William wouldn't give me the name of."
Zelda remembered her father and closed her eyes. She was in control.
"Could you please add to that?"
"Well, for what I've heard, nobody had ever seen you treat a man with such respect and worry. If what they've told me is true, everyone had assumed you would wait till you were in your late twenties to find someone as a consort, everyone relied on that. So, you arrived with a handsome, fearsome, young man and they all lost their minds. You are the future of Hyrule, you are the future of everyone, they fear a nobody will make it crumble."
Zelda thinned her lips.
"And you know this because?"
"William," he gave as an answer, "also Shad, and Ashei, and my own research."
Zelda looked up. Remembered the way her father would talk about his friend. The picture that stood on his bedside table.
"Do you have any advise for me, Sir Auru?"
Auru looked down, to his own hands.
"Are you asking as a ruler or as the daughter of a friend?"
"Both."
"I would advise the ruler to think this through, who is this young man, what can he add to your rule? You have suitors from the noblest of houses, a union with them would be more suitable..."
Zelda untied the package, there were two letters.
"But as the daughter of a friend, and as a friend to the man in question, I would beg of you to never let him go, be it as a supporter or something else."
Zelda opened the first letter. Auru saw a disarray of letters sitting behind her.
"Are those for him, too?"
Zelda puckered her lips, "Yes, I mean, maybe. They will be held in transit so I rather have them with me. I also... I don't know if it's the best to make him come and let him go through... through whatever they'll make him go through. I don't even know if he wants to keep in touch..."
"You have letters from him right in your hands."
She touched the letters. He had told her to never doubt him, she shouldn't.
She opened the first one, Rauru had the sense of looking away and give her a resemblance of privacy.
It read,
'Thanks for sending me back. I needed it. Are you doing alright? Please tell me if you need anything.
PD. You owe me the west wing, I guess.
Link'
Zelda didn't even wait to read the second letter. She felt her heart jump. She was smiling.
Auru felt his heart clench.
"Well," started Zelda, "I guess I'll have to go find a postman."
Auru thought for a second, "Well, if you would like, I actually have a better method."
Zelda gave him a quizzical look.
"You do know about messenger hawks, right?"
And before him, right after being doubted to his very core, Princess Zelda of Hyrule gave him a shocked expression before laughing and giving him a bright smile. And Auru wanted nothing more than to see it again.
"Also, and against what everyone thinks, I'm not trying to marry him."
"Yes, your Majesty."