"Your Majesty, I have been looking everywhere for you," Counsel bowed as she drew near.
"I was in the library all morning and had a quick bite to eat," Noble explained, feeling a little bad for making him worry.
"You were with your aunt the entire time? That is by far the longest you two have been around each other willingly...ever." Counsel's emotions became unstable.
Noble tried to comfort him as she spoke. "She had a lot to show me in the royal library. And still does. Taking over isn't easy. I will need her support."
"Hm." Counsel fell in step beside her as she exited the stairs.
As Noble tucked her hair behind her ear, her sleeve slid down her arm.
The man's eyes opened wide. "What is that?! Her Grace is giving you jewelry now?"
"What? Oh!" Noble looked at the golden band on her arm. "This is not Aunt Emira's. There was a second set. The reigning monarch is supposed to wear them. So I am trying to follow that tradition."
"A second set?" Counsel took a deep breath. "Still, you need to be wary of trickery. Those could just as easily be shackles as gifts of goodwill."
'A bit dramatic. Surely he saw Byzas wear these same bracelets. He just has no way of knowing they are the exact same ones…' Noble took a deep breath.
"I can tell you are concerned, but there is no need. We are all on the same side of wanting to end the Tyrant once and for all." She patted his shoulder.
"You have given up on trying to control it, then?" The protector furrowed his brow.
"I had never seriously considered trying to control it, especially if we are unable to find the Heart." Noble had noted the man's suggestion before.
While it might have been interesting to explore long-term, it was not a path for ending the Nightmare...was it?
'No, even if we got control, there is always the chance that the creature could turn on us without warning.'
Not hearing her thought, Counsel tapped his chin.
"I see. Have you made any progress in finding the heart then? Surely your aunt has given you new information." The hope in the man's voice felt like a knife in Noble's stomach.
"Emira knows less than we thought," she answered carefully.
Counsel grunted. "Another one of her tricks…"
"No! She is helping us search for information in the Royal Library. There is just so much of it. And some of the most important books are…missing." Noble grimaced as the man's expression darkened. She held up her hand. "But they will be found! Maybe you can help us look. I will tell Drune to give you access to every part of the library as well. Three heads are better than one."
"Corrupted creatures sure seem to think so," Counsel nodded seriously. "I will ask to see if any of the servants have spotted misplaced books. Though if I am being candid, I suspect your aunt took them..."
'He is not wrong...but at the same time isn't right. What a strange thing!' Noble forced a smile. "I can promise that my aunt does not know where the missing books are, and she is as dedicated as we are to finding them."
The man let the matter rest at last, much to Noble's relief. She changed the topic. "Did you just come to get me because I am late for this meeting or was there something you wanted to tell me?"
Her eyes darted down to the rolled-up paper in the man's hand. On cue, he lifted it.
"You asked for a proposal on slavery in the kingdom and I have done just that! I wrote down all my ideas and how we should proceed. It should minimize the impact on the workforce while still providing freedom to those who desperately need it." Counsel puffed out his chest.
"That is excellent news! I cannot wait to see what you have planned." Noble took the paper and unrolled it, but she barely read the first sentence before they turned the corner.
"Your Majesty!" General Theo bowed as he beckoned them near.
Noble released the scroll to let it roll back on itself and sent her companion an apologetic look. "I will read it when I have time later."
Counsel smiled weakly. "I understand. The work of a Queen is never done."
"At least with you here, it won't be boring," Noble coaxed a bigger smile out of the man beside her.
"That shows how little you know about politics, Your Majesty. I am afraid that you will find this to be a dull affair. But I shall do my best to make things as interesting as possible. You can lean on me." The winsome man dipped his head.
Noble hid her grin. She probably knew more about politics than he did, just not royal policy.
He was wrong, too.
After her Fort had found a loophole which allowed them able to adopt Rain, Noble had done a study of the law and its intricacies. The reasons laws were made as well as their intended functions and unintended consequences were fascinating!
More recently, Noble had worked closely with government officials both to pinpoint the Nightmare Gates in Antarctica and to organize the evacuation efforts. She was no stranger to how things worked…and when they didn't.
However, Noble did not correct Counsel's thinking.
"I will lean on your guidance and knowledge to get me through this meeting. Your help is invaluable."
She did not say this just to flatter him. If Noble did not wish to spend all her time managing Crestfall, she would need to allow Counsel and the others to take up as many of the tasks as they were able.
Followed by Kosi, the pair met General Theo outside a large open door. Clad in all his military finery, Theo continued to bow until Noble acknowledged him. "Good afternoon, General. Is eveyone else within?"
"Everyone except Her Grace." Theo lowered his eyes.
"There is no need to be concerned. My aunt will not be joining us," Noble answered pleasantly.
The two ladies had already decided this. Sarai said that she did not want the leaders to defer to her instead of the new queen, but Noble could see that her sweet friend was worried about becoming tongue-tied again.
Looking through the journals in the library was far more important to ending the nightmare, so Noble saw no reason to argue with her choice.
A smile of relief formed on Theo's face. "Oh, then everyone is assembled and waiting for you."
Stepping into the doorway, Theo announced the arrival of the new Queen. As Noble entered the room, she noted how similar and yet simultaneously different it was from the Chancellor's office in the NQSC.
Two dozen men stood around a large utilitarian table with three times that many assistants and servants ready to complete any task given to them.
Pages of documents were piled high on the table, looking as official as they did ominous.
The men and women all regarded their monarch's entrance with lowered heads.
Along with Theo, Noble recognized many of the people at the table, though she could not guess their identites. Thankfully introductions were the first order of business.
Every minister and dignitary told the new monarch their name, position, and responsibilities. Noble tried to commit as many as she could to memory. By the time they were done, the floating Queen felt she was drowning in the flood of information.
And it was only the beginning.