A Bit of Gossip

The servant fell to the floor, pressing her face into the fibers of the rug. "I did not want to tell anyone that you had left, but he did not believe me when I said you were resting." 

Noble took a deep breath and relaxed. The young woman was distraught because she thought that she had somehow betrayed her mistress, not because some new tragedy had occurred. 

"There is no need to worry. Is this the first time I have been brought back in such a way?" Noble phrased the question as a joke, but she hoped the woman would answer anyway. 

"No, ma'am. It is the fifteenth in the past five years, but your first time slipping out from the palace. I was hoping that you would have more time. But when Counsel looked me in the eye and said 'Where is she?' I knew that I had sealed your fate..." The servant began to blubber again.

"Lenore, don't worry. I do not blame you, and you should not blame yourself," Noble reached out her hand for the servant to stand. "Now help me cinch this dress and give me all the latest gossip."

Normally the professor did not like idle gossip, but it was the only way she felt that she might gain insight without garnering suspicion. 

In many ways, Noble felt like a spy. The Spell put people in situations without giving them context. Only the strongest and most adaptable were able to rise to the challenge. 

'I bet Nickel would be good at this sort of thing…'

Wiping the last of the tears from her eyes, Lenore nodded slowly. She began fiddling with the bodice of Noble's dress, pulling it at odd angles to cinch it until Noble was forced to turn around.

'Oh!' Noble had noticed a full-length mirror in the room when she went to hide her clothes but had only given it a passing glance. Which is why she hadn't noticed the subtle change in her features.

While she looked much the same, her face had softened and her eyes were brighter. The crease in her forehead from raising children was gone and the luster of her hair was more pronounced.

In short, Noble looked younger.

Which is why the next thing Lenore said was completely unexpected.

"There has not been much gossip since only Counsel and I know you left without permission. Most of us were speculating about the Queen's hundredth anniversary as monarch. People want to know if you would be giving a speech like you did at her fiftieth. It was rumored to be the only time that Her Majesty shed a tear."

Noble's eyes grew wide. She looked in the mirror and evaluated the words silently.

'Did she say fifty years ago? And the Queen has ruled a hundred years…How is that possible?'

Of course, the professor knew that Awakened in the Dream Realm could live lifespans of hundreds of years or more. But the woman in the mirror looked twenty-five at most.

'Must have good skincare,' she mused, tabling the thought for later.

She realized that Lenore was looking expectantly at her through the mirror. "Is it true?" The servant asked, coloring slightly at her own impertinence.

"If no one has seen the Queen cry, it would be arrogant of me to say I accomplished such a feat. And as for the celebration, we shall see." Noble had even less information than the servant on either matter, not that she would admit it.

Lenore fell silent to finish her work. After tightening the dress to make Noble's waist smaller than it had been in ages, the servant slipped a slim satin robe over the top of the gown.

After a short while the first servant, who Noble learned was named Pen, came to complete the lady's hair.

When it was all said and done, Noble looked fit for a royal court. Gone was the dirt from her face, replaced by rouge on her lips and cheeks. It was a far cry from how she had looked that morning in the Outskirts.

'It's been a long day…'

Descending the stairs with Kosi, Noble found Counsel waiting for her as he had promised. His armor was gone. In its place was a fine tunic covered by a robe similar to hers but in a shade of burgundy instead of gold. She guessed this was his formal uniform.

He flashed a handsome smile and offered his hand to help her down the final step.

"You look fit to be a queen," he complimented, his eyes searching her face for something. He seemed to be looking for any sign that what she had said before about her heart was untrue.

"I hope not. We already have one of those." Noble shook her head both for his spoken comment and his silent question.

Counsel seemed to understand. His demeanor took on a formal air. "Are you ready?"

"Can anyone be ready for dinner with Her Majesty?" Noble gave a small smile.

The man chuckled lightly. "I suppose not."

"Then I am as ready as I shall be. Lead the way."

If Counsel found the order odd, he did not say so. In fact, he seemed honored to go before her toward the dining hall.

Kosi fell into the back of the line, creating a strange procession as they paraded through the halls.

All the servants they passed stopped and bowed, making sure not to meet Noble's gaze. It was strange to be revered in such a way. While their faces all held the utmost respect, their emotions were more telling.

Some felt affection toward Brenna while others were ambivalent. But the most prevailing emotion…was fear. That fear did not seem to be aimed at her. It was part of the palace culture.

Finally, the winding halls gave room to a great foyer.

Noble gasped. The whole place was bathed in a rainbow of color. She looked up at the stained-glass window. It was even more breathtaking in the last rays before nightfall.

She reached out, allowing her hand to bask in the play of pink and yellow light. It felt familiar.

'Am I remembering something from Brenna's past? Does the Spell do that?'

Noble flinched. Kosi nudged her from behind with a soft whine. The professor hadn't even noticed she had stopped moving. She had felt entranced by the light.

"Is something amiss?" Counsel turned around and frowned.

Shaking off her reverie, Noble patted Kosi and flashed a smile.

"I was lost in thought."

"It is a brilliant piece of work. Crafted by the gods or so the story goes. I believe it was actually a gift from…" Counsel glanced toward the far wall. A servant was waving him forward impatiently.

Noble took the cue. She lifted the edge of her dress to keep it from dragging and hurried forward.

Even before Noble entered, various aromas of scintillating foods assaulted her senses, promising her only the finest of prepared dishes. 'Smells amazing.' 

The banquet hall was equally impressive. It was decorated with banners of every victory. Gilded chairs lined a long table which was heavily laden with food. Servants stood along the walls ready to answer any order given.

Looking around, Noble could feel just how lavish a party in this room could be. It would easily rival the ball put on by Valor.

Yet no guests were in the room to eat the feast big enough to feed a small town.

Only one person sat at the table with a cold gaze to welcome the three newcomers.

The Queen.