Sweating, Theo gave a slight bow as he approached Lady Brenna for an updated report.
"The soldiers could not find the person matching your description in the marketplace."
It had been a few hours since Counsel had sought out the captain to search for the trespasser. While Theo had been distraught by the thought of someone entering the palace uninvited, his search had come up empty.
Hovering over a stone bench seat, Noble closed the book in her lap and scratched Kosi behind the ear. She was not surprised by the results.
Dipping her chin, she smiled at the captain. "I appreciate your diligence, Captain Theo. I know you did your best. "
"Did he?" Counsel paced across the garden in the late afternoon sun. "With all the manpower at your disposal, you couldn't find anyone at all?"
The captain clicked his tongue. "The description of an ominous-looking man in a black cloak actually yielded many results. Too many, in fact. But none that bore any fruit. I don't suppose you have any more information?"
"That is all we could see from here." The protector waved his hands in frustration.
Kosi lifted his head from the affectionate patting and grumbled.
"Kosi said he smelled like earth." Counsel sighed.
It was probably the least helpful thing the Symncus could have said. Intentionally or otherwise, that scent would have been what caused Kosi to lose track of him.
Noble cleared her throat lightly. "The man had dark eyes and hair. He was hunched over on the wall, but I think he must be quite tall. And there is a scar on his right cheek. Also, he was an Awakened."
Counsel's mouth opened slightly.
"Understood, Lady Brenna. I will inform my men." Theo made a mental note of all that the woman had said.
"Please bring anyone you find to me first so I may identify them. I would hate for the wrong person to be punished." Noble also wanted the chance to question the man before the queen could do anything about it.
"Understood," the captain saluted. "I will go report to the queen now. I hope she will be as understanding as you, Lady Brenna." Theo was suddenly full of anxiety.
"I am sure she will be reasonable." 'I hope.' Noble winced.
"I will leave some men posted around the garden for your protection." The captain motioned for the men to follow orders as he turned to leave.
"There is no need for that..." Counsel tried, but the other man ignored him.
Sighing, Counsel stopped his pacing and sat next to the beautiful brunette.
Noble patted his shoulder lightly. "It's fine, I doubt the man will come back today anyway."
"How did you know all of that information?" Counsel's words overlapped Noble's.
She looked at the ground. "I told you I had seen him before. I would have given you the description before you ran off, but you didn't give me the chance."
In her heart, Noble knew it wouldn't have made a difference today. That intruder knew he was being followed and would do his best not to be found.
Maybe another day he would slip up, but for today, if the man had any sense, he would remain hidden in the deepest corner of the kingdom until the searching ceased.
'He will come for me again.' Noble pursed her lips.
She wasn't sure how to feel about that. The animosity from the stranger was erratic and unpredictable.
Noble was positive the man was Awakened. Hopefully, she could hold her own against him better than she had the unstable monarch.
Her head began to throb. "I think I am going to rest," she told Counsel. "All this excitement today has made me tired."
Sleep would give her lungs a chance to finish healing. Just the thought of resting her eyes sounded heavenly.
"How long until dinner?" She asked, rubbing her eyes.
"Two hours." Counsel tapped his chin. "This isn't some plot for you to sneak out and find the intruder, is it?"
"What? No!" Noble shook her head vehemently.
'Though that would have been a good idea...'
"I am not supposed to leave the palace, remember?" she reminded both herself and Counsel. "That is the only way that Her Majesty will hear my plan to take down the Tyrant."
"Hm." Counsel kept his thoughts to himself. "Well, then I will walk you to your room. Kosi, it is time to move napping locations."
The Symncus seemed to sleep more than it did anything else, and his wide yawn evoked a second one from Noble.
The trio made it to Lady Brenna's chambers.
Pen answered the door. Her eyes opened wide. "My lady!"
Noble looked down at her armor and realized the reason for the servant's concern. While she had dismissed the fire charm to heal, the black and gold of her Queen Bee armor still bore the marks of battle. "Everything is fine," she assured her. "I just need a small rest."
"I'll help you change," Lenore dipped a curtsey as she came out of her room.
"Give me a moment, and then you may help." Noble needed to dismiss her armor before she could put on new clothes.
With a short glance at Pen, Counsel strode over to one of the couches. "I will wait in the sitting room while you rest. If the man comes back..."
"He won't. Not today." Noble sighed.
"But if he does, I want to be close at hand." Counsel gripped his sword.
"He?" Lenore asked tentatively.
"There was a man on the wall. It was probably nothing." Noble wanted to smack Counsel for bringing up the subject in front of the women.
When Pen and Lenore grabbed hands with pale expressions, Noble knew telling them not to worry would do no good. The ladies silently begged her to let Counsel watch over them.
"Fine. Counsel can stay. Wake me for dinner."
Noble came to her room and changed clothes before Lenore could enter. The servant only needed to help unpin the woman's hair. Lenore filled the silence with idle chatter, but Noble barely listened.
Her attention was focused on the other room. Counsel and Pen were standing very close together. She could only see their outlines and feel their emotions, but still, she could sense the two were deep in discussion.
Whatever Counsel had said caused the woman to throw her arms around his neck. He backed away and patted her arms gently.
"How close are Counsel and Pen?" Noble interrupted Lenore as she was talking about how she should add some lace to the hem of this evening's gown.
"Close? I suppose they get along very well. Pen respects Counsel greatly." Lenore shrugged.
'Looks like a little more than respect to me.' Perhaps it wasn't a bad thing. Pen was pretty and young. That kind of attention would probably distract Counsel from his heartbreak over Brenna.
Filing the information away, Noble dismissed Lenore.
Then, finding a way to tether herself to the headboard of the bed, she settled in to rest. Unfortunately, the sun streaming through the window was just too bright.
'Hmm…'
Focusing on her cousin BB, she whispered the Name of Light. She didn't know the Name for getting darker or lessening, but somehow her crude sorcery still worked. The sunlight in her room faded, taking much of the heat with it.
In spite of the already long day, a smile bloomed on her face.
'Sorcery,' she thought to herself. 'Wait till I tell Julius!'