The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

Noble came out of her daughter's room wiping her hands with a clean towel. After disinfecting all the wounds, the doting mother had sent Rain for a bath before showing her how to take care of the bruises and manage the pain.

The process had taken a while and by the time Noble came downstairs, dinner had been made, eaten, and put away by three of the five family members.

"We saved some for you and Rain," Fort pointed to two bowls being kept warm by the fire.

"Thank you."

Noble dumped the dirty water from her basin and placed the towel with the bloodied clothes that were still soaking.

"Should I bring Rain her food?" Blaze offered.

Noble cut her eyes at the young man. "I suppose."

"I'll go too!" Brock hurried over to gather the meal. "We should keep her company after such a long day."

Fort frowned. "You can go, but don't badger your sister. If she wants to be alone, you respect that."

"Yes, Dad." The boys nodded obediently before running up the stairs with the food in tow.

"They aren't going to leave her until they get every detail." Noble took the second bowl and brought it to the table.

"As selfish as it is, I am just glad they stopped asking me." Fort gave a weary grin as he pulled back Noble's chair.

She hovered over it out of habit.

"How are you doing?" Noble sipped at the broth, happy for the nourishment.

Fort looked at her carefully. "You know how I am. You know how everyone in the upper city is."

Noble set down her spoon.

"I suppose that is true. Then I'll restate my question: how are you so calm?"

"Rain screamed at me that we had different definitions of dangerous. It hurt to hear, but I realized she was right. We worry about different things. I hate the idea of her getting a bump or bruise, sure. And the thought of her going out and doing what she did today terrifies me. She absorbed a soul shard as a mundane human, Bee. That alone will get people talking if they find out. Add to that when they find out she killed a Nightmare Creature just for sport. I wouldn't be surprised if someone from Song Clan contacts me to ask about it." 

Fort rubbed his temple as he pictured the pile of paperwork he would have to fill out if there was an inquiry.

"But what can I do? Lock Rain in her room?"

Fort seriously considered the option for a second before casting it aside.

"It would only work for another year at most. After today, I wouldn't be surprised if she tries to move out sooner."

"Move out?!" Noble felt her stomach flutter. The idea of her daughter leaving for good was an unappealing prospect. Surely that moment hadn't come already!

"My brother took off when he thought my parents were unreasonable." Fort's focus became distant. "I don't want to chase off Rain."

"Rain is not like your brother," Noble squeezed her husband's arm. "She wants to make the world better just like we do."

"Yet what she is doing is completely different. Have you thought about what will happen if she actually succeeds?" Fort's voice dropped to a whisper. "Things will get really complicated, really quickly."

"What do you mean?" Noble furrowed her brow.

Rain would be giving the greatest gift to humanity by Awakening outside of the Spell. What could be bad about that?

"Who controls how people ascend right now?" Fort asked, his voice still lowered.

Noble didn't speak, but her eyes moved in the direction of the titanic bridge and the Jade Palace which lay beyond it.

The ambassador nodded. "And how do you think she and the King of Valor are going to feel if a little girl goes and strips them of that control?"

Noble chewed her lip.

Currently, mundane humans could not leave the influence of the sovereigns without being plunged into a Nightmare. Beyond that, the Great Clans had cornered the market on most Saints because up until Antarctica, they tightly controlled who could go into which Nightmare.

Breaking from the Spell would turn that system on its head and could eventually challenge the minor deities of Bastion and Ravenheart.

"If they see Rain as a threat to their power, they might eliminate her before she becomes a problem." Noble felt her throat go dry with her words. "Surely they would leave her alone right now. The likelihood of her success is low enough that they shouldn't feel threatened."

"If we think this is possible, then we need to prepare. Even if Rain doesn't do it, someone else might and they should be able to rely on the government's protection." Fort's handsome features regained some of the youth they had lost earlier in the day.

He had a mission now, and he always seemed younger when he had a cause to champion.

"What exactly will you do?" Noble asked him, her mind enjoying the view.

"I don't know yet, but I will do whatever I can to protect this family." He smiled at her, and what was left of her resolve melted.

"You're a good man, Fort," Noble said gently.

She leaned forward and kissed her husband. He pulled her forward, setting her on his knee as he welcomed her embrace.

As the tender moment passed, the couple rested their foreheads against one another. 

"You think Rain can do it, don't you?" Noble touched her husband's nose. 

"She has the drive and that indefinable quality that she obviously learned from her most excellent mother."

Fort stole a kiss with a mischievous grin. Then he added more seriously. 

"There is something special about her. We've always known that. And if there is a Guardian watching over her like you think, then she was meant for big things, right?"

"Right," Noble nodded.

She pulled away from her husband and went back to her meal.

Fort tilted down his chin.

"I would like to meet this protector someday."

"I'm sure you would." Noble ignored the implied request. "Hopefully someday you will."

"Interesting that Rain didn't mention it when she told her story. Do you think it was there?"

Noble took a long sip of soup before answering.

"I have no way of knowing for sure. I wasn't there."

The ambassador noted her answer with a raised eyebrow. "If it was, I would like to know why it let Rain get hurt."

"It is curious indeed," Noble finished off her soup and smacked her lips. "That was excellent. My compliments to the chefs!"

"I hate how you always change the subject when I bring up certain topics." Fort shook his head as he leaned back in his seat. He had expected it, but it was still exasperating.

Noble understood. "If I could tell you I would, my love. Trust me."

"I do." Fort let the matter go.

By the time the ambassador lay down his head on his pillow, the end of their discussion had all but been forgotten by him. He had many other plans to make starting in the morning.

But the words had stuck with Noble.

As she stepped into the night under the light of the three moons, she planned to get some answers.