Noble and Counsel immediately went for their weapons.
Someone or something had been hiding out, watching them.
But as the slow, rhythmic clapping continued, Kosi's fur relaxed and he lay back down.
Noble found out a moment later why.
From the far end of the arena, Emira stepped out of the darkness into the wavering light. Her delicate hands clapped once more before falling to her sides.
'How did I not sense her again?! I have to pay better attention!'
How long had she been there? Had she followed them? Surely the Queen had better things to do than spy on her niece.
Or maybe someone else had been spying on them and told Emira that they were down here. The end result was the same. They had been discovered.
Not that they were hiding.
Were they?
'We have nothing to be ashamed of,' Noble reminded herself.
Her Majesty's eyes flicked between the two people before her, an unreadable expression on her face.
But Noble could sense her emotions. Emira was less than pleased.
Counsel bowed deeply and Noble fell into a modified curtsey as they waited for the monarch to draw near.
"I did not realize you were turning my niece into a sorceress," Emira pressed her lips together. "How long has this been going on?"
Noble's eyes opened slightly. "Please do not blame Counsel! I asked him to show me this morning."
Her Majesty tapped her foot. "Do not lie to me, Brenna. No one could do that in the span of a day."
"She's not lying!" Counsel came to Noble's aid. "For some reason that word comes naturally to her. She could not do any others and likely never will."
'Wow, thanks...' Noble wasn't sure how to feel about the man's assertion. While it was probably accurate, it stung a little to hear.
Her natural reaction of disappointment is what convinced Emira that what they said was true. She relaxed slightly.
"Do not treat sorcery like some jester's trick. It is a serious endeavor and few can master it." Emira glared at Counsel.
The words were meant for him more than Noble. Hadn't the man said he had only been able to use a few Names? That must not have been enough in the queen's estimation.
"Understood, Your Majesty," Counsel bowed.
"At least you chose the proper place to do something so reckless. This room has withstood far more fearsome things than either of you." For a moment, the queen seemed almost winsome.
Her softened face made her look as captivating as the sunrise.
'The difference is unbelievable!'
Glancing around, Noble wondered who exactly had graced this ancient arena before her. Brenna's ancestors or their champions?
"I am glad our location meets your approval," the floating Awakened said after an extended silence. "I would not have wanted to damage anything with my attempts at sorcery."
The words brought the queen from her reverie.
Emira turned a frustrated glare on her niece. "You should have told me that this was the kind of training you wanted to do!"
"It wasn't!" Noble answered, then winced. Something in her said it would have been better to just apologize.
"Then tell me. What kind of training had you intended?" Emira's eyes looked ready to light any moment.
"Just the regular combat training," the duelist champion pointed to her estoc and Counsel's sword.
Her Majesty snorted derisively. "And have you done any combat training today?"
Noble flushed. "Not yet…"
"Well then, get on with it!" Emira spread her arms.
"You are...staying, Your Majesty?" Counsel shifted uncomfortably.
"Am I not allowed to be anywhere I want in my own castle?" Emira challenged. "Unless you consider this outside the palace, in which case Brenna has broken her promise."
"Of course, it is part of your palace. You are welcome to stay," Noble smiled a little too brightly. "It is just that I thought you were not going to help me."
"I'm not helping you. I'm observing you. Completely different things." Emira lifted her nose into the air.
She glided effortlessly across the room to a stone bench next to Kosi. The Symncus lifted his head hoping to be scratched, sniffed in disappointment, and then curled up into a disgruntled ball.
Counsel looked at Noble, who shrugged. He had agreed to help her train. What exactly had he thought that meant?
"This is not regular combat training. You might as well be picking flowers in a field." Emira rolled her eyes upward. "Get on with it!"
Noble pulled her sword, unsure if she wanted to aim it at her opponent or the overbearing queen.
She pulled her eyes from the red-headed monarch. 'It isn't worth it.'
"Are you ready?" Noble asked her opponent.
Counsel nodded. He readied his weapon.
Noble took a deep breath and lunged for the first strike.
Her opponent easily moved to the side and deflected her blade. Seamlessly, he followed up with a strike of his own.
Noble returned the favor by sending his attack wide with the Unlikely End.
Counsel raised an eyebrow, impressed by the interchange.
Yet, he still did not attack. Noble could feel that he was holding back.
'We will see how long that lasts...'
Becoming more aggressive, Noble pointed her estoc at Counsel's chest. She barreled toward him in an explosion of motion.
Counsel blocked many of the attempts, but some slipped past his guard. The pristine surface of his polished breastplate became scarred with a morbid design from the estoc's blade.
Counsel did not seem to mind the defacement of his armor. He was too busy paying attention to the queen. Noble furrowed her brow.
'Pay attention to the one who has the pointy blade!' She wanted to scream.
The harder she pressed, the more the man gave.
It was very similar to when her daughter was in a bad mood, and Noble let her get out all her aggression.
'Now I understand why Rainy was so frustrated with me when I tried to coddle her!'
The more Counsel gave ground, the more Noble pushed the advantage. At last, the protector's sword clattered to the ground as he dropped to his knees.
"I yield," he announced, his eyes glued to the ground.
"You gave up," Noble corrected him. Her shoulders rose and fell with indignation.
"He doesn't want me to evaluate his skill," Emira brushed her hair behind her shoulders. "The question is, why?"
"It is not like that!" Counsel's emotions were erratic. "I didn't want to hurt Lady Brenna!"
'His argument has merit. If Emira is looking for an excuse to imprison Counsel and force Brenna to sever her relationship with him, that would be a good option.'
Seriously wounding the Queen's niece would make Counsel unpopular, and Emira would be unlikely to allow the real story to surface.
"A coward, as usual," Emira stood from the bench and smoothed her dress. "Some things will never change."
Counsel remained with his eyes averted, but Noble could feel the hatred he felt for the Queen's words.
"You, on the other hand," Emira circled her niece with her hands behind her back. "You have changed considerably. I suppose if I want a proper gauge of your skill, I will have to discover it myself."
'Uh oh.'
Emira nodded. "Fight me."