The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

Exiting her home, Noble shivered not from the cold, but from the night itself.

'It is unreasonable to think that just because it is dark that I will fall asleep and float away,' she reminded herself.

Noble was a Master now, and her need for rest was far below what mundane humans required. On evenings when she went out, Fort was always nearby. With his presence, Noble felt anchored to the ground. He would never let her just drift off. 

But her husband was safely slumbering in the house just now, so Noble would have to deal with the unpleasant feeling that the night air brought. Fort wouldn't have been able to come with her for what she wanted to do anyway. 

Coming around the back of the house, Noble studied the shadows. 

"I know you are here," she whispered sharply. 

Nothing stirred in the darkness. Noble frowned. 

"Don't make me go looking. Making the moons' light brighter will attract attention that neither you nor I want." 

The professor rarely used her talent outside of her house. There was usually no need. More than that, Noble wanted to keep that trick up her sleeve.

She had no talent for other names, so even if some sorcerer wanted to recruit her as an apprentice or colleague, they would both be wasting their time. 

Thankfully, Noble didn't need to know any other names. Her threat worked. Out of the shadows, a man materialized leaning against the wall of her house. 

Noble furrowed her brow. "I want answers." 

"What if I don't want to give them?" Sunny responded, raising one eyebrow in challenge. 

His appearance was nonchalant, but Noble could feel his underlying anxiety. 

"Then you wouldn't have appeared. You would have let me look for you every night from now on like some lunatic." The professor crossed her arms. 

Sunny was far more powerful than her. She had sensed that at their first meeting. But he also cared.

Why should he care what she thought? It was something that Noble had mused more than once. 

It could have been his concern for Rain extended to Noble, but the Master couldn't shake the feeling that he had at least some personal regard for her as well.

If Sunny had less respect, he could have done more to separate Rain from the family. Instead, he had honored the integrity of their home and its boundaries. 

The man in black did not argue her point. Instead, he waved his arm for her to join him in the shadow of the wall.

"What do you want to know?"

Floating closer to him, Noble's gaze became sharp. "Tell me why."

While Noble was glad that the man had come out so easily, she wasn't about to let him off the hook.

Frowning, Sunny tilted his head. "You are going to have to be more specific."

Noble blew out her cheeks. "You took Rain into the wilderness to kill a Nightmare Creature today."

Sunny held up a finger.

"Technically I took her out there to track and observe a Dormant Beast. Her decision to attack and kill it was completely her own."

Noble shook her head.

"You put her in danger. Her shoulder is badly mangled. You could have stopped that from happening."

"And stunt her growth?" Sunny looked genuinely confused. "As a fellow teacher, you know the importance of making mistakes. If I rescued her from every little thing, then all she would learn was how to rely on me."

Noble wanted to argue, but in her own training with Rain, she had let the girl get hurt—even causing a few of the injuries to her daughter during their spars.

Although the professor hated to admit it, avoidance of pain was a powerful motivator in learning.

The professor shook her head. "But she does rely on you. She trusts you! And you are leading her down a path that no one has been down. Which brings me back to my original question. Why do this?"

That was the thing bugging Noble. Sister or not, Sunny was putting a lot of effort into training a teenager for something that to the rest of the world seemed impossible.

"Because I want to," a smile came to Sunny's lips as if it were some joke that Noble didn't understand. "But more importantly because Rain wants to do it. I would never force her."

Noble felt the sincerity in his words.

"What happens if she succeeds—"

"When she succeeds," Sunny corrected her before Noble could finish her question.

"Fine. What happens when she succeeds? Have you thought this through? It is possible that she will make some very powerful enemies. Awakening won't protect her from them. Fort said he will work with the government to…"

Sunny's expression darkened. "The government won't be able to protect her."

"So you have thought about it then." Noble resented how he had been so dismissive of her husband and his work. "If they aren't going to keep her safe, who will? Or do you plan to let her learn that through pain as well? Do you care what happens after your experiment is complete?"

"Enough questions!" The man gritted his teeth. "Yes, I have thought about it, and yes I care! When she succeeds, I will protect her at all costs."

Noble furrowed her brow.

"For how long?"

Sunny looked at her for a long time, anger burning in his tenebrous eyes.

"Her enemies are mine. And I will not rest until I or my enemies are destroyed."

Noble wanted to ask him to swear—to promise that what he said was true. But she didn't need to. His meaning was clear—Sunny would protect Rain until his dying breath.

"You mean what you say." The professor took in his words.

"She's family," came the response.

That was it then.

What more could there be to say?

Noble couldn't be there for every moment of Rain's life, but it seemed Sunny could. More than that, Rain wanted him around.

"Have you told her that you are her brother?"

The strange Saint laughed bitterly. "I told her today, but it's clear she doesn't believe me."

Rain had never mentioned a brother to her parents, so Noble could understand that the girl might be skeptical.

"Give her time. I would have a hard time believing that a powerful being residing in the shadows was related to me as well."

"I suppose," Sunny seemed less than convinced.

"Speaking of family," Noble took a deep breath. "I love Rain, and I only want the best for her. Fort too. While I didn't mention you directly, he knows something is up."

"He isn't stupid," Sunny acknowledged with a slight nod.

"Fort wants to meet whatever or whoever is influencing his daughter." Noble's eyes swirled as she spoke.

"Not happening." Sunny turned away. "Next you'll want me to meet the twins as well."

"They would think you are the most impressive person to ever walk the earth," Noble smiled slightly. "They would want you to train them too."

"As well they should, but still, it's not happening." Sunny crossed his arms. "No one can know that this or any other conversation happened between us..."

"…For both our sakes. So you have told me."

Even though Noble didn't like it, she somewhat understood.

Sunny wasn't just residing in Rain's shadow—he seemed to be hiding from the world.

The more people that knew about him, the more complicated his life would become.

"Fine, your secret is safe with me," Noble conceded. "But Sunny? Someday I do hope you will introduce yourself to us—all of us—properly."

"Maybe someday," Sunny smiled sadly as he dissolved into the shadows. "Then again, who knows? I've been told to be careful what you wish for."