The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

Setting down a piece of chalk that she had used to write on a green slab hung on the wall, Noble clapped her hands.

"That's all for today, students. Don't forget to check the schedule on your way out to pick when to return!"

Completing her course on Memories, Noble dismissed her class. While none of those attending had Memories yet, they could still benefit from knowing the basics of how they were classified and their general purpose.

The headmistress had only taught one short class during the first day, putting her administrative duties as her highest priority.

Flitting around, Noble had made sure everyone had what they needed. There were a few hiccups, but Noble pushed through and was ready to go home.

She only had a little paperwork left before she could consider her day complete. 

If she had been in the Waking world, Noble would have been able to type up her reports to give to the government. 

'By the time I get to the Jade Palace, I will be most of the way done,' she assured herself. 'A bit of paperwork never hurt anyway.' 

Releasing the utensil, Noble let the ink dash across the page as an invisible force controlled its movements.

The headmistress smiled in satisfaction. "Much better." 

"I'm on my way out," Awakened Halo peeked his head into the office. "Do you need anything before I go?" 

Noble's pen continued its work as she looked up at the lecturer. 

"How were things today?" 

Halo smiled. "Very well, thank you for asking." 

"Was everything to your liking?" The headmistress pressed. 

The Awakened explorer scratched his chin. "I enjoyed having a proper classroom, don't get me wrong. However, I prefer being outdoors." 

"I understand. When is your next excursion scheduled?" Noble could see the wanderlust in the man's eyes. 

"Next week. I will get in a few more sessions before I leave though. Just like I promised." Halo placed his hand on his heart. 

"I wish you well. Is this trip for road planning also?" The professor's pen slowed to a stop as her focus shifted. 

"What else? My clan has me traversing all the wilds from the edge of the hollow Mountains to the sea and everywhere in between. This time they are sending me all the way to the border of Godgrave." 

"Godgrave? They are having you map roads to Godgrave?" Noble acted appropriately surprised. 

Halo nodded. "Have you ever been in that direction?" 

"I have not. I try not to frequent Death Zones," Noble pursed her lips. "Why would they make roads to Godgrave?

"I've no idea," the man shrugged, "I only do as I am told." 

"Are they hoping to connect to Bastion?" The headmistress pressed. 

"That doesn't make much sense." Halo seemed to be considering it seriously for the first time. 

"Why not?" Noble tried to act only moderately interested. 

If she asked too many questions, her companion would be suspicious of her motivation. She needed to tread carefully. 

Halo scratched his chin. "The way I understand it, if a mundane leaves a Sovereign's domain, they are infected by the Spell. They can't travel between domains, so what would be the point of connecting the clans? I suppose Awakened could go across the roads, but that is a lot of work and maintenance for a very little payoff. At least, that's the way I see it." 

"If they are planning roads, I am sure there is a reason we haven't considered. I suppose it's above our pay grade." Noble smiled politely. 

"Another reason might be..." Halo's eyes narrowed and then grew wide. "Oh. You are probably right. Ignore my ramblings. If the Sovereigns want to build a road to nowhere, it is none of my business. If there is nothing else..." 

"Thank you for all your help. I can take it from here."

The conversation had come to its natural conclusion, and Noble knew better than to press her luck.

She turned back to her pen, and its seamless motion resumed.

'Last page between me and freedom.'

The thought had no sooner entered her head than she sensed a familiar presence coming toward her which made her hurry up and find a stopping point.

'The rest can wait until tomorrow,' she decided.

Then, checking to make sure there were no stragglers left inside on campus, Noble headed to the entrance of the Dreamer Academy to welcome the arrival of a blond ambassador.

"I thought I would walk you home after your first day," he offered his arm as she exited the building. "How did things go?"

"There was a little incident with our practice armor and a wardrobe malfunction, but other than that everything went about as expected," Noble kissed her husband on the cheek as she looped her hand in his elbow. "How about you? Did your research yield results?"

Noble felt her husband's emotions shift.

"They did, sadly. The situation is more urgent than I originally thought."

"I'm not surprised." Noble shook her head. "I spoke with someone who is about to lead an expeditionary force. Even he said the mapping that they want him to do makes no sense."

Fort's brow knitted. "Do you think you could talk him into delaying the trip?"

"No. He seemed clueless at first, but I think he might have realized the nature of his mission because he changed the subject quickly after he brought it up."

"Unfortunate for us, then." Since they were still in the open street, Fort didn't elaborate.

He didn't need to. Noble already knew that having contact inside Song would go a long way to slowing down the progression of events or even derail them for a time.

It seemed it was not meant to be.

"I'll write communiques for the higher-ups and for Lena when we get home. Will you drop them off for me tomorrow when you go to the Waking World?"

"I will," Noble agreed with a nod.

While Awakened Teddy would be fully capable of delivering the messages, the headmistress was glad to be trusted with something so important.

She wouldn't let her husband or herself down.

Arriving at the house, the parents were bombarded with the usual daily recap of their children's days.

Neither of them minded. It was good to hear their kids be excited about the lives they were living.

Only Rain seemed reluctant to share, but even she had a detail or two that she offered over dinner.

"Based on the weight of the bow I'm able to draw now, I'm getting stronger," she told them. "My aim is getting better too."

"That's wonderful! You've always had a good eye for archery," Noble praised her daughter easily. "Why, I wouldn't be surprised if soon…"

A knock at the door interrupted her flow of thought.

"It's for you," the Master told her husband.

"Come on in, Teddy!" Fort called loudly from his seat, "You are welcome to join us for dinner."

The door opened and the Awakened assistant came into the room. Her confused expression said it all. "How did you know it was me?"

"It is you every day around this time," Blaze pointed toward the clock.

The young woman shrugged. "Next time I'll try to mix it up. Here you go." Teddy pulled out a sealed envelope.

Unwilling to mix business with his meal, Fort pointed to the table in their living room. "Please set it over there."

"Sorry, Boss. No can do. While I have your documents, this one isn't for you."

She turned toward Noble. "It's for Master Ma'am. And it's urgent."