#ch.41

The next time Link entered their room Zelda could hear music and laughing and shouting from the floor below. Link had a radiant smile on his face and Zelda couldn't help but feel better.

"Do you want to go down?" Link had made sure to keep his distance ever since Robert had left, but he thought it would be a waste for Zelda to miss the show everyone was putting on the first floor.

"It sounds like fun."

Link snickered, "Oh, it's better. Wanna come?"

Zelda stood and Link couldn't keep the winning smile that took over.

A curtain. That was what separated a bunch of people jumping and twirling and drinking from the Princess of Hyrule. Zelda's mood improved greatly just from that.

Link moved the curtain and cocked his head for Zelda to take a peek.

It wasn't like Zelda had never heard how parties were for peasants. She had maids who loved to share information with her so she had some notion of how they looked, how they sounded, how they felt. 'Completely exhilarating,' Leela would share.

Zelda felt it was more sweaty, disorderly and suffocating than she could have ever imagined. When Zelda let go of the curtain and turned her head to see Link, he was nowhere to be found.

"-have fun!" Link nodded with strenght before catching Zelda's gaze on him. "Brought beer."

"I didn't see you leave."

"You were pretty mesmerized by the dances, so I figured I would make myself useful." Link set the jugs on the table and then took a big swig from his.

Zelda eyed her jug and Link interrupted, "Have you ever had beer?"

Zelda squinted her eyes at his tone, "Of course I have."

Link smiled, "Just checking."

Zelda grabbed her jug and took a sip, Link was tapping his foot to the sound of the music and his face was gaining some blush.

"You look really happy," Zelda said.

Link raised an eyebrow, gave a sly smile, "Even if we go back to the castle tomorrow we'll have this."

Zelda frowned a little, opened her mouth to ask the obvious when Link offered his hand to her.

"Would you give me a dance?"

It only took one song for Zelda to agree with Leela. 'Exhilarating,' she had shared.

Link's laughs right by her ear, his hands on her body, the way they would try to get closer and closer.

Even if things went south, Zelda would have this.

Robert tried his best to look inconspicuous, but he only took two steps inside the store when an attendant came close to him and guided him to an office.

It was against nature for a kid to look this menacing.

"May I know why you are here?" And to have such a somber-sounding voice. He was what? Six?

But Link had made sure to drill into Robert that whatever happened, Malo was to be treated as an adult.

He has more money than half Hyrule combined, Robert reminded himself, "Well, since it has been almost two weeks now that our lovely blond has left with the future Queen, I think it is fair to send him a message that reads 'They are sending people after you,' you could maybe add a winky face just to give it more of a 'me' aura, but I'll leave that up to you."

Malo couldn't look more unimpressed, "He already knows that."

Robert breathed in, took a new stance, "Yeah, sure, but does he know that now they are sending," Robert stressed, "people," a pause, "after him?"

Malo looked up, more for Robert than for him, "Who is sending people after them?"

"Dotour."

Malo ticked his tongue, "Then there's nothing to worry about. He's just giving them time."

Robert was still standing there, unmoving. And Malo remembered Robert's hectic schedule to try and cover Link's duties. "He's doing fine, Robert, they are both fine."

"Oh, great. They ought to, you know."

"You miss him?"

Robert made a horrified expression, "Me? What? No way. I just," Robert gestured in the air, "I want these responsibilities off, you know. Too many of them."

Malo hummed, already worried with the paper in front of him.

"Hey," Robert coughed into his hand, "could you tell him that people are getting suspicious?"

"Suspicious how?"

"Well, Dotour can only give so many announcements to the nobles that the Princess is working hard and that she's sick, you know? It's also pretty obvious that Link is missing."

"Not our problem, Robert."

"Yeah, but still..."

"Will do, Robert."

Robert coughed into his hand once again, "Great," he then looked around, uncomfortable, and started to leave.

"Also, ask an attendant to give you a package." Before Robert could turn and ask, "It's for Gabe, so don't get your hopes up."

Robert snorted and left.

Dotour dismissed a servant and rested his back against a wall. The cold seeped from the stone to his body and the shiver that ran down his spine made him open his eyes. The nights were getting darker and longer and Dotour hated it.

Dotour was too entranced by the cold to bother and see whoever was coming his way.

But it only took one word.

"Dotour-"

To know who it was.

"- can I have a moment with you?"

Dotour couldn't help the disdain that painted his words, "Only if you will make it short and go far away afterwards."

"I know this might not be the right moment," Dotour stole a glimpse at Auru. The man's voice was low and nimble and Dotour was getting chills thinking about what the man wanted to talk about, "but seeing the situation we are in I thought it right-"

"Cut to the chase, will you?"

Auru stopped, looked down and started again, "I..." and his voice couldn't follow.

Dotour closed his eyes with strenght, bit his lip, "I swear to Hylia, if you even try to apologize..."

Auru half-smiled. Of course not. Of course, "Do you know why I came back?"

"I, honestly, couldn't care less."

"He asked me to."

Dotour hated that he knew who Auru was referring to without a name, "As if I needed another reason to despise him."

"I could have said no."

"I'm sure the idea of making my life miserable was tempting to you."

"I wanted to come and face you."

"If you are expecting for me to punch you and be done, to scream at you and then laugh, you, old man, are worse off than I thought you were."

"All of these years I have been so scared of your hate."

Dotour sneered, "Good."

"I... still am selfish. I came for me, to face my fears. To face what I left."

"If you were waiting for me to become a nice old geezer then," Dotour gave a nasty smile, "surprise. I have only become angrier and meanier."

"Dotour..."

"I just want you to know, till my dying breath, I will curse you."

"Please try and remember what you mean to her."

Dotour felt a cold pain in his chest, he had to breathe in deep. Dotour looked at Auru, as if making sure that he had dared say what he had said.