An Isle's Advocate

Chapter 14

Auradon's royal council meets every weekday from ten in the morning to five in the evening. Well, they're supposed to. The purpose of these meetings is so that any Auradon citizens who feel they have a case to argue or an issue to bring up may do so.

Satisfied with the way Auradon has been run for the last twenty years, it's rare for any citizens to actually make appointments and speak to their ruling representatives. This means that they usually don't even bother with holding a meeting more than maybe twice a week.

That being said, the majority of the council members unhappily take their seats on Friday morning. It's five minutes to ten and they all know exactly who is going to be walking into the room any minute now.

They wait and, sure enough, just as the minute hand on the grandfather clock at the back of the room ticks over, the door opens. An increasingly familiar pair of heavy black boots make their way silently into the room as the clock chimes.

Hayden stands before the council with his hands neatly folded behind his back. He waits for the tenth chime to fade away before he speaks. "Thank you for meeting with me," he says, fighting back a smirk as he makes sure to look each member in the eye.

"Aye," Merida calls with a mischievous smile. "We're always happy to see yeh, Hayden."

"How was your trip home?" Naveen asks.

"It went well," Hayden tells them. "My father sends his regards," he adds, knowing Hades did no such thing. He just enjoys the pinched look it puts on the majority of the council's faces.

"Yes, well, if the ... pleasantries are out of the way perhaps we can get on with this meeting?" Beastie suggests. "Some of us do have things to do today."

Hayden shrugs lightly. "Actually, if you don't mind, we're waiting on a few more people."

"Oh?" Jasmine asks, one eyebrow raised.

"They should be here any moment now, your majesty," he tells her.

"I wasn't aware anyone else had booked a meeting," Florian says pointedly.

"No one else did," Phillip agrees.

"Well, I'm afraid that if your name was the only one on file then you are the only person who may speak today," Leah adds smugly. Her brow furrows in confusion when Hayden doesn't look concerned at all.

"I think you'll find that I updated my booking as soon as I returned to Auradon," he says simply before hearing the door open behind him. "Here they are now."

It's interesting to see the array of different expressions on the council's faces as Mal, Evie, Carlos, and Jay all join him.

Merida and Naveen both grin, mischief lighting up their eyes. Jasmine and Rapunzel smile though, as Jasmine glances in Leah's direction, hers turns more than a bit smug. Everyone else ranges somewhere on the scale from pale and worried to tense and outraged but trying to hide it.

"We're not late, are we?" Mal asks knowingly.

"Right on time," Hayden tells her with a small smile.

"Yes, well, if that's everyone..." Snow White says tensely, sending a slightly nervous look in Evie's direction as she does.

"Not quite," Evie tells her. She looks her right in the eyes as she does, refusing to shy away from her judgment.

"And just who else would be... willing to speak for the Isle?" Eric asks.

His question is answered as the door opens once again. Hayden doesn't even bother to fight back a smirk as he watches eyes widen across the council.