Chapter 21: Esteemed Guests
Sunshine. He detested those bright, radiant rays that cut through the slit in the heavy curtains and dared to land on his face. It was too happy and cheerful after two days of damp misery and financial ruin. Eight hundred rupees just...gone. He covered his head and rolled onto his side, twisting the blanket tightly around his form in case anyone dared to wake the Great Vaati from his slumber.
Someone dared to. Again. But this time, they had actually tried.
Freezing water splattered on him from the heavens, soaking through his covers and bedclothes, and clinging to his skin. Vaati shivered, his eyes flying wide open in fury, a curse on his lips spoken with all the venom he could muster. It was a simple one, designed to transform in a most discomforting way. The words left him, though just a few, before reality caught up to him. The warmth of magic rising beneath his skin was absent, leaving him bereft of vengeance. His wrists burned as he settled for oaths.
"Dammit you doddering old fool," he growled. "What in Nayru's name is wrong with you? I know the others are mere children, but you should know better...than…"
Someone was chuckling. It was distinctly not the Zora.
Sitting up quickly in bed, he turned to see the instigator, and to his surprise, found Ruuya standing there holding a now empty wooden bucket. She grinned, malicious and sharp, showing only a hint of teeth, like one of his own smiles. Strange. It seemed she had actually learned something more useful than some paltry magic under his guidance, after all.
"Who did you think you were talking to?" she asked carelessly, taking the last chunk of white flesh off an apple core and grinding it loudly with her teeth. She spat the seeds into the bucket followed by the apple core. "Bazz?"
"I'd expected you to throw sand or something," he muttered, rubbing at his eyes, blinking sleepily against the beam of almost solid, yellow light. "Why in blazing hell did you wake me?"
He took the folded blanket at the end of the bed and draped it around his shoulders. It was only slightly damp, much to his relief. Vaati yawned. Damn this time of day.
"It's noon." Half-way through his yawn, she spat one remaining seed at him. At him, like some filthy country bumpkin. How dare she show such disrespect! "We meet the King in two hours." Her lip and nose twitched briefly, though not in a smirk. "Get dressed."
Then she slammed the door shut behind her and laughter spilled in from the dining room. They all knew, didn't they? They, his minions, thought him a washed up has-been, a laughing stock to be mocked and ridiculed. Last century's news crumbled beneath the grinding gears of time.
He glared at the far wall where his new set of robes hung. They were in the modern style. A purple cap, a matching embroidered tunic with a long skirt, a silk sash in red, and a pair of tight, red leggings, made to tuck perfectly into his black boots. Bazz had insisted he needed a new outfit to meet the King. The monarch would expect him, a new appointee to the Castle staff and the Council, to don his finest garb.
Yet in his anger, Vaati wanted nothing more than to set it aflame. Burn it all to ash and allow the winds to scatter it wherever they willed. But the fire in the fireplace had burned down to the faintest embers, and he could not summon Din's dimmest flame to do his bidding. It would not help him in the slightest, however, no matter how much he imagined the garments charred. He still had to meet with the King to even start on the road to complete his plans.
There were steps that needed to be taken. Deviating from them would only cost him.
That left Vaati with only one real choice: to angrily get dressed. Growling, he shoved his legs into his pants. In rage, he slipped his arms into his tunic and thrusted his head through its perfectly cut collar. Heated, he stomped his feet into his tailored boots. Finally, he stood and he snatched his cap from its hook, throwing it on his head with a swell of fury.
Once dressed, Vaati threw open the door and stepped into their shared dining room. Nan wasn't there. Bazz sat at the table, chatting with Ruuya over a meal of...eggs, bacon, and toast. Neither had noticed his grand entrance, it seemed. His gaze shifted to the grandfather clock. It gonged nine times.
"I'm going back to b-"
Ruuya, who sat closest to the door, pushed it shut with the butt of her spear. "Eat," she said.
The Zora nodded, motioning to an empty chair. At least they had gotten breakfast set for him. "We have some planning to do before we meet the king," he said. "And planning is never easy on an empty stomach."
Vaati readied a jab like a different man might ready a sword, but his stomach growled in agreement. He briefly sneered. Fine. No sense letting good food go to waste. He gave in and took the proffered seat.
"You look nice," the Gerudo said. She settled in her own chair, spear leaned against her thigh but still holding the door closed. "Almost. Though your hair's still drippin'."
"And who's fault is that?" he all but snarled, then pushed a whole bite of bacon, egg, and toast in his mouth. It was gone in seconds. "Yours. I should-"
"Turn me into a sandseal."
"Make you lose your head once I regain my powers. Aren't you well-read, girl?"
They both paused in eating their meals. The Zora's peduncle slammed against his back, the single sign that Bazz was clearly furious, while the Gerudo gasped in surprise. Her hand loosened and her fork clanked against her nearly empty plate, bits of bacon and crumbs of toast flew off and onto the white table cloth. Vaati allowed himself a slippery smile.
"Merely a jest," he said, vaguely waving a hand at them. He took another bite. "Even I have a sense of humor."
Ruuya coughed awkwardly then glanced at Bazz. The Zora shook his head, pouring himself another cup of tea, but did not drink. Instead, he swished it around slowly and stared over Vaati's head at the clock. Fine. If that was how it was, he could ignore them as well. Breakfast would not eat itself.
When he finished the last bite, Vaati spoke. "You're both utterly rude." Although it was more of a mutter.
"Agreed, you are that," Bazz remarked, pretending he had only heard Vaati's words in part. As far as Vaati could ascertain, the Zora only pretended to be hard of hearing to trick the young. Vaati, however, was no fool. "As well as needlessly cruel and a pompous, overbearing ass."
Ruuya choked. Vaati shrugged, unbothered by such descriptors. If one were to ask him, he thought the Zora overly polite despite the insult. "Why should I care?"
"Even so," he said, "it will not go over well with the King if you treat him like your...companions."
Bazz should have said minions, but Vaati decided it best not to correct the captain. The devil was in the details, and there would be enough of those to work through before long. "Ah." Vaati steepled his fingers, and looked at the captain from under his bangs. "So you think, I, the Great Vaati, am incapable of putting on a facade and speaking with the King?"
"Quite."
Ruuya snorted, coughing once. She rubbed at her face, drying it of tears. "You don't even know what humble means."
Vaati pounded the table once with his fist, dishes rattling slightly as he placed his fork down. His gaze turned icy, sliding between his traitorous minions in the stretch of tense silence. "I believe both of you have gotten out of line," he said slowly, acidically. "You both live to serve. You, your lord and town and you, your master. I can dismiss you, and send you back and you…" He glared at Ruuya. "Well you already know."
The woman had the audacity to look offended, before gritting her teeth and scraping away at the last of her breakfast.
Bazz merely sighed quietly as his peduncle swished back and forth, the meaning this time escaping Vaati. "So, yes," he said, flatly. "Planning. The king deserves a good show, if nothing else."
"A show, indeed." He tapped his fingers together thoughtfully.
"First and foremost," Bazz said, before Vaati got the chance to enact his own, far better, ideas, "you will want a spokesperson."
Vaati sneered, leaned forward, and instinctively reached for magic only to get sparks of red dangling over his fingertips. "Don't you dare tell me how my plans will unfold. You are the servant, I am the ma-"
The Zora glared then glanced at his spear, the sharp corners of its dual-blade shimmered with a faint blue light as water magic gushed forth. Yes, the Zora's magic wasn't that strong, not even in the leagues of that woman, Alysse. But without the ability to touch his own magic let alone wield it, there wouldn't even be a farce of a fight. Nails lightly scraping the table, Vaati relented. For the moment. The future minnow would pay one day. "And what, exactly, did you have in mind?"
Bazz gave him a feral smile. All teeth, like a shark, or more accurately, a killer whale, considering his coloring and current shape: mostly muscle but with a bit more blubber than the Zora of old. Vaati liked that insult. It was a good petty evil. It, at least, made him feel better.
"Present yourself as introverted and introspective," said Bazz. "He will think it means you are wise."
"So, basically," Ruuya said, joining in with a smirk of her own. "No yap yap."
The Zora nodded, his face shifting back to its normal, sober expression. "She is correct," he said, "Let us...no, I, speak. Perhaps you can add some "hmmms", "ah"s, and sagely nods to add to your mystique. What do you think, Ruuya?"
Her damnedable smirk hadn't faded. "Almost. But he needs a better cape. One of the hooded things, but with lots of vraizah." She all but threw out her hands, knocking over the tea kettle in her excitement. Hot water spilled across the table and dripped onto the floor, matching Vaati's current mood.
"Ah...I will send Nan to find one at once," Bazz replied. "Violet or black?"
His anger sizzled as they planned for him. How dare they think they were in charge. How dare they mutiny against him. They were his minions, not his partners. This all had the stink of something schemed behind his back! Boiling hot but sitting silent, Vaati prepared one-hundred-thirty-seven different magical punishments for both of them before they met the King at two.
/-/
The sun had long since risen above Hyrule, but the merchants and those with desperate woes still trickled in. Downpours always had such results, when most people had to wait out the rains until they could be seen by the King. The longer they had to wait, the more would have to be seen in a single day. Thankfully, the storm had only lasted a day, and not three or four.
Goddess only knew the sort of headache that usually entailed.
When at last the sun had started to dip towards the horizon, King Alphonus let out a sigh of relief as the last petitioner left the Grand Hall and he allowed himself to slump down into his throne. He glanced over to his Chief Adviser, and the old man, white of hair, short, and thin as a rod gave him an encouraging smile.
"Your father would be proud," he said.
"No. Just tired and hungry." His stomach growled right then, signaling that it was well past lunch. A shame, too. He absolutely hated missing meals, despite that Impa insisted that his weight was an issue. She said it was the very thing that sent his father to an early grave, and he could not disagree. So be it. He would join his dear Esmeralda sooner then, but he hoped it was only once his Zelda was able to lead. Even still, did not a king deserve to enjoy something in life? Good food was an easy luxury that cost his people little. "As I am, also. What is for supper?"
The man bowed. "I must beg your forgiveness, Your Majesty," he began, sympathetically. "You still have one more meeting today, and I fear you are several hours late already…"
A meeting…? Who...oh no. The one Impa had scheduled at his own insistence mere days ago. That was today. He heaved himself out of the chair, then, for the first time in ten years, considered bolting to his own study to make up for lost time.
It was bad business for the King to be late, even stylishly so. But running, he decided, was too undignified, and worse, exhausting. He would be out of breath before he even left the throne room.
"I will be there shortly," he said with regret. "Please do have some food prepared for me once I have reached my chambers, Nico. Do not listen to whatever that woman demands, prepare me a splendid feast for myself and our esteemed guests… At least as splendid as time allows, of course."
With that, he exited the Grand Hall through a door all but hidden behind the throne that led to a staircase. These stairs were usually only used by the servants, but he had learned well the hidden passageways and staircases as a lad. It made sneaking through the castle far more quick, and far easier. Although his guards did not enjoy that he had, and worse, still did, give them the slip.
There was something thrilling about losing his tails.
Today, however, they followed still, albeit at a distance. His goal was speed, at least as much as he could muster. Though by the time he had reached the private door to his office, the wind had left his sails, leaving him adrift in a sea of exhaustion. He leaned heavily on the wood for a moment in an attempt to regain his composure and catch his breath. Gods. The Castle was far larger than he remembered, and he hadn't even run an inch inside its hidden corridors.
Alphonus had the idle thought of secret passages within the secret passages, but dismissed the idea out of hand. But moving his office… Perhaps another time. No, he needed to refocus.
Wiping the sweat from his perspiring brow, he checked himself in the mirror. Impa thought him vain to have a mirror outside the private entrance to his study, but he often used the secluded door to meet with important dignitaries and other guests of great renown. They expected a kingly king, even more than the petitioners or those attending court. If he went in with even a drop of sweat on his brow or a crumb of cake in his beard, it could spell disaster for his country. He readjusted his mantle, and smiled at his reflection.
"As perfect as we can expect without our queen by our side."
He then turned his gaze to the one-way window in the door that allowed him to spy on his guests, a magical device gifted long ago to the King by a renown craftsman and sage. Alphonus activated it with a pulse of Royal Magic. He needed the perfect moment for an entrance. A king could not afford to time it poorly even when late. While Alphonus hated being so tardy, his servants had done well in the meantime.
Lord Gufuu and his retainers had already settled into his office and had been provided refreshments, sweet cakes, and weak wine in the meantime. The three ate, and chatted in low voices he could not discern, and through the magically crafted one-way glass, Alphonus examined them.
The first was a woman dressed in a nondescript brown cloak. Most likely this was the Lord's apprentice, a strange maid who went around pretending she was a wrinkled, old prune with a haggard voice, according to his merchant-contact, but was no more than twenty-seven if the words of his "mercenary" were to be believed. He barely paid her heed. He still couldn't figure out why Blue was so fascinated with her.
The second was far more outstanding. Lord Gufuu covered his face with his hood, but his cloak, violet and clasped with a large ruby set in gold, was magnificent and bellowed out at the ends as though bustled by a strange stagnant wind. His tunic was of a modern, dashing cut, made of purple silk and slashed with a red sash all of which were embroidered with silver thread. The potion maker tucked his tailored pants into black boots lined with matching embroidery. Impressive and well-dressed, the King found him splendid.
But then, he noticed the third, a tall creature standing to the side and touching neither food nor drink. Instead, it–no, he, Alphonus mentally corrected himself–watched the private entrance with a steady yellow gaze, as though he, like a veteran soldier would his post. He was tall, broad, and looked like an orca that had grown arms and legs, and then began to walk. Around the shoulders he wore a light blue cape embroidered with the Symbol of Water in white on the back, and in one hand he held a strange, silver spear loose and ready to strike.
Despite that such an expression was unbecoming for a king, Alphonus could not help it: he gasped. Then blessed his private door and secret window for blocking their view. The rumors were indeed true, then. One of the fabled Zora really did live in Windfall. The water folk weren't all dead after all! His accursed and foolish ancestor had not rid Hyrule of every last Zora after all.
Legends walk upon us, he thought. A giddy smile was fought down, a plan formulating in his mind. He would get more than just a Potion Master today. He would begin to repair another bridge that had been broken by madness. First the people of the shadows. Next, the great protectors of the water.
And then? Who knew. Maybe the Gorons, or the Rito.
Or the Koroks.
He smoothed out his coat some, and exhaled a breath he hadn't known he was holding. It would not be good for him if his esteemed guests noticed his astonishment or delight.
With his head held high, Alphonus schooled his excitement into the regal mask he held for the public, and donned the mantle of King of Hyrule. He pushed against the door and stepped into his study. Immediately, all the other two gave him their attention and he gave them his best royal smile, followed by a short formal bow. That Zora's gaze had never left him, as though he had somehow sensed him from the other side before he entered. That was impossible. The door had wards.
"Forgive our lateness," he began, dismissing that thought. "We had unexpected business at court that drew overlong. As you are aware, I am King Alphonus Daphneson Hyrule IV. We are most pleased to see that you have waited so late for our arrival." The clock against the far wall struck four. "And remained despite my own tardiness. I suppose given the circumstance, the tongue of kings is not needed."
"Thank you, my liege," said his soon-to-be Potion Master. "Let me introduce myself…"
With pale, slender hands the man withdrew his dark hood showing a shocking face. The only word the King could think to call it was gorgeous. He had thought the merchant had said this man's hair was white, or perhaps silver, and pale as moonlight. It was far closest to a light lilac instead, and with a gust of wind, streamed down his back until it curled out at the ends. Most women did not have hair so fine, or more, a face so lovely, pale, and free of wrinkles and blemishes. The only thing that told him that this being might be a man was the firmness of his chin and the depth of his voice.
And even that was tenor and light. Gods. He had not expected the man to be more beautiful than all the women at court. The only beauty he thought better had passed from this world to the next, but none could compare to his Esmeralda.
"I am Lord Gufuu of Windfall," he said, with a small incline of his head, sagely and slight. "And these are my companions, Bazz, Zora and Captain of the Windfall Town Guard, and Heather, my apprentice."
"It...you truly are a Zora?" Alphonus asked, though he knew the answer already. It still left him without breath. Impa would say he should have held his astonishment back better, but she was not present. No, she had taken Zelda shopping for a horde of new dresses this afternoon and would not return until just before sundown. "Have your people returned?"
The towering aquatic man considered him with an expression even more unreadable than Impa's own. Then, he bowed, long and deep and as formal as the best trained nobleman.
"Indeed I am, Your Majesty."
Not only was his new Potion Master outstanding, his servants were as well, and even more so than he had first assumed. To demand such respect… He glanced over at the woman, spotting a strand of red hair. Was his assumption correct, then? Was this then one of the Maidens of the Desert, a descendant of the Merchants of the Sands?
"A Gerudo as well?"
The woman stiffened.
"She is indeed, and a skilled mage as well," replied the Zora. Ah. A sensible choice. If the Potion Master had spoken for himself, he would have appeared both arrogant and uppity at toting his pupil. A showcase of hubris. But having the Zora speak for him...well, this showed he was not just a skilled craftsman but worthy of the title of lord, as well. A true politician. Yes, yes, indeed, he knew how to play this game, it seemed.
Alphonus hummed, carefully masking his interest from years of experience at court. "It has been years since we last received a visitor from the desert in the Castle itself. A shame, truly, but I am glad one has deigned to make her presence known to us."
The girl, however, only seemed to stiffen further. Well, one would not expect a desert dweller to be comfortable in the midst of the city, let alone the Castle which oversaw it. He felt a wave of pity for the lass, but business was business, and more importantly…
His stomach rumbled slightly. Dinner. Dinner was pressing, and he dare not keep his guests or himself long here lest their meal grew cold.
"Now that we are acquainted," he continued, "I think it best for you to understand the duties of this post. It is not given lightly. The last Potion Master came to a poor end when he attempted to poison his King."
The Zora, as expected, spoke in his lord's stead. "My master, as I am sure you are aware, Your Majesty, is renowned as a man who heals the sick and creates elixirs to mend wounds, restore magical capacity, rejuvenate stamina, and various other ailments. His interests do not align with such evil ends, and I have never known him to make poisons of any sort."
"Yes, yes," said the King dismissively. "But that is not what concerns us. Your village suffered under a blight of Malice, did it not?"
Slightly, the Zora's eyes widened. "Yes," he confirmed. "It did, your Majesty."
"Which I, with my wisdom and skill, overcame," Lord Gufuu said, then he lifted his ornate staff, letting the king see the rigid letters carved into the wood. Well, he would never ask Gufuu to write a treaty for him. His handwriting was horrible, though the runes did glow with an innate power. He touched it with his magic senses. Powerful light magic mixed with a hint of fire and water. Interesting. "I created this rod to clear the Malice and to purify the Village of Windfall."
"You are a master craftsman as well?"
"Potion-making is an aspect of Crafting, but I am skilled in each part of that discipline," he replied, lifting his head hauntingly. "Truly, I could make you an abundance of-"
"Could you do it again?"
Lord Gufuu paused slightly. "Pardon?"
"Could you clear Malice from other locals?" the King clarified. "My knights cut it back, but it always returns, and like the hydra of legend, it grows twice as terrible as before."
Something unreadable passed between the Potion Maker and the Zora. The latter frowned deeply. "In the past, even a man with a bow could cut Malice down if he only were to find the source, Your Majesty."
"I see." How did they know so much? He had only gleaned all of this from pursuing this information in the archives of the Royal Library, and yet these strangers…
"Have your soldiers attempted that?"
"They have."
"Then I fear the nature of Malice has changed since my day," Bazz said, then sighed. He scratched the back of his head. "That...ah. I… Zora are especially long lived, Your Majesty."
Alphonus nodded slowly. If what he was implying was true, this Zora was at least over five hundred years old and had dealt with this plague before. Then again, he had never met one of these creatures before. This Bazz would know better than him.
He would just have to accept that as fact until he could consult the primary documents tonight.
"Could your Lord Gufuu deal with it again?" he asked once more. His thoughts went to the purple, fiendish mass at the source of Zora's River. It hadn't yet reached the waters, but it was all the more imperative that it was dealt with permanently.
"I…" The Zora lifted a hand to its chin. "Perhaps."
"Of course we can," Lord Gufuu said, confident as the sun on a bright midsummer's day. "But we will need more than just myself. If I am to perform this extra duty in your service…"
"I will have your captain knighted at once."
The Zora glared at the Potion Master for a brief moment. "That, your Majesty, is completely unnecess-"
"And will provide any other resources you need," the King continued. "It is, I will not lie, the true reason I had hoped to add you to my court. If we can rid ourselves of this Malice now, I believe we might be able to stop Ganon from resurfacing."
The Gerudo, at the mention of that horrible name, shivered visibly despite the warmth of her full cloak. Understandable. Her people had given birth that great evil long ago, though one could not put blame on a whole race for what one individual had done. She had nothing to fear, at least from him.
"That would be a magnificent boon," Lord Gufuu agreed with a sagely nod, his teeth gleaming in the light of the torches. "I-"
Whatever he was about to say, however, was lost beneath the audible thud of the door hitting the wall. A moment later, a bundle of pink and white fluff and ribbons bobbled into the study and toppled on top of the King, shouting "Daddy, Daddy!" as he caught her in his arms.
"Zelda, what are you doing here?" he asked in concern. "Where is Impa?"
"I am here," the nursemaid said, looking like she had spent the last three days awake. "Princess. Your father is in an important meeting with important guests."
"Sorry." She waved at said important guests with a chubby arm. Then her eyes widened at the sight of the Zora, but unlike other children, she approached him without an ounce of fear to her name. Sometimes, he thought his little Princess more deserving of the Triforce of Courage rather than Wisdom. "...Whale?"
Dear Goddesses. Alphonus cheeks flushed red for the first time in ten years. He could not blame his precious and constantly curious daughter. Her tutors had only just taught her about those magnificent aquatic creatures, but to mistake a Zora for one…
This could very well unravel his plans. He could not reunite the peoples of Hyrule if his little girl embarrassed him here. He needed to save face. Especially his own!
But before Alphonus could speak firmly but gently to his daughter, the large Zora bent over and then gave her head a gentle pat. "I am neither a whale nor a fish, little one," Bazz said with a knowing smile. Almost wistful, thought the King. Perhaps he had had children once, too. Alphonus breathed in a sigh of relief, perhaps this meeting had not run aground after all. "My people are called the Zora, the masters of river, lake, and sea…"
His little girl's eyes lit up. She gasped. "A master? Do you tell all the fish what to do? Can you ground a whale? Can whales be grounded?"
"Alright." In one fluid motion, Impa scooped up his daughter. "That's enough for now. I'm sure we'll see Captain Bazz later."
Zelda twisted in the nursemaid's arms, trying to look up at the Zora again. "Captain? You have a ship?!"
Alphonus opened his mouth to kindly correct and excuse his daughter-
Bazz chuckled. It wasn't a polite thing to placate children or an awkward one when something was wrongly said, but an honest, genuine laugh.
"Not as such," he replied with a wry grin.
The little girl squeaked out a yawn. "I'm afraid the Princess has had a long day,' Impa said. "And I must take her to bed."
"But I'm not…" Another yawn. Alphonus smiled at his precious little girl, ruffling her blonde curls. "Tired...Daddy. Daddy. Tell Impa…"
"I promise you can visit them on the morrow."
He took her for a moment then planted a kiss on her forehead. "Now," he said, handing her back to Impa. "Say farewell, dear heart."
She puckered her lips slightly, but relented. "Bah-Bye Mr. Zola!" called the young princess, and the door swung shut. It did not make a single sound in her wake. Not even a click after it had closed.
By the gods, the Sheikah were frightening even without meaning to be. Why anyone would so much as think to declare war on them...it was pure insanity.
There was a moment of silence. An adjustment to the sudden departure of a whirlwind of pure energy. The clock ticked away in the resultant gloom.
"Knighted, you said?" Bazz asked, breaking the silence. Despite being weary before, the Zora seemed to have changed his mind. Wonderful. His charisma had charmed the fish-man, too, it seemed! Alphonus clapped his hands together, jubilant. "I trust you will put me in charge of the squad that will defend the new Potion Master, then?"
"Of course, of course!" King Alphonus said. That was not exactly what he had planned, but it would still do. It could still work. He'd just need to wait. Better than letting the Zora go, at least. "And you can choose your guards from the new graduates of the Academy!"
"An academy…?" The strange tail on the back of his head swooped slowly from side-to-side. "I see. You have my thanks, Your Majesty." Bazz punctuated this with a short bow of the head.
Alphonus clapped his hands on the backs of his new Potion Master and his new knight, guiding them towards the other door. "Oh, come now, let me show you three to the Potions rooms myself." His stomach growled loudly in response. "After dinner, of course."
The wise Potion Master gave him another sagely nod. The Zora wore a thin smile. And that strange Gerudo? She tailed them like a beautiful lioness, prowling along in the shadow of her master. Good. It was important that this apprentice knew her place.
But the King still smiled. He had won, it seemed, and twice!
Jazzy: Alphonus is speciest even if he is well-meaning. Most of this is innocent bigotry. He just doesn't know better (it's been a few hundred years since Hyruleans have dealt with members of non-human sapient species), but he would like to learn.
He...ah...just has a very long way to go.
I also wanted him to be a counterpoint to Rhoam. He, too, lost his wife in recent years, but instead of burdening Zelda with duty, he dots on his daughter and is unafraid of showing her love in public or before esteemed guests. He is, ultimately, trying to figure out how to be both a good father and a good king.