"…I also received a true name: Child of Promise." Noble got out the words as quickly as she could.
Fort's eyes opened wide. His face broke into a wide grin. "Forget calling you Master Noble! Her Royal Majesty, Child of Promise has arrived." The man affected a deep bow.
"Fort…" Noble smirked in spite of the censure in her voice. "Please don't!"
She still needed to process those things. "Can I just be your wife and nothing more? At least for today?"
Fort pulled her into another hug. "I understand, Bee. Today we will just be us. I love you."
The use of his special nickname for her sent chills down Noble's spine. It was said with such tenderness that it nearly broke what was left of her composure.
She pressed her head against her Husband's chest and let his heartbeat calm her. "I love you too."
A soft knock proceeded the entrance of a woman in a white coat.
The Academy had experts in every field including the Awakened anatomy. This woman was one of the foremost doctors in the world.
"I heard you took a little tumble," she said with a pleasant smile.
Noble explained what happened, and the doctor asked the appropriate questions. It had been a long time since the floating professor had had a proper physical, so the doctor insisted on a full workup.
Fort stepped out to give his wife some privacy and, Noble suspected, to find a communicator to update Chancellor Gui about her status… and the status of his PTV.
When he returned, he had a datapad tucked under one arm.
"How is the patient?"
The doctor smiled. "The damage to your wife's soul seems to be healing nicely. With the proper rest, she should be better than new in a day or two. Until then, be gentle with her!"
"I fully intend to treat her like the most precious thing in two worlds." Fort winked.
Satisfied, the physician nodded. "Then Ascended Noble is ready to go. I will sign the discharge order."
"You're in luck! I have a datapad for you right here!" The Director pulled the device from under his arm and passed it over. "You will also need to sign a nondisclosure from the government."
"Of course, we will practice the utmost discretion," the doctor assured Fort as she signed both forms with a stylus.
The Director's expression turned serious. "I hope so. Because if I hear anything leaked to the news outlets, your staff will be the first ones investigated."
"Understood." The woman in the white coat nodded and turned to Noble. "Take care of yourself. You've been through a lot." Her emotions spiked. "And…if I may say. Thank you, Master Noble."
"I don't know that falling out of a gate warrants a thank you." The newly ascended warrior got a strange feeling in her stomach.
"I wasn't talking about that. I mean for defending humanity when the gate opened. You saved my husband and son, Nico, on the train that day."
Before Noble could confirm or deny her identity, the doctor bowed her head and left.
"She knows who I am!" Noble's hand flew to her mouth.
It wasn't that big of a leap in logic. Noble had fallen out of the same gate that Queen Bee had fallen into. Her eyes opened wider.
"Does everyone know?!"
Fort chewed his lip.
"All the hospital staff have agreed to stay silent. Thankfully the soldiers who were there when you came out had the sense not to give your name. I don't know much about the man that found you."
"Awakened Jeremy," Noble filled in his name. "He didn't immediately give up my identity to the reporters when he did an interview."
"All I know right now is that he is a researcher for Clan Valor. If any of his superiors want more information about what happened, Jeremy will have to give up what he knows." Realizing he was getting more serious than he meant, Fort waved his hand lightly. "But that is a problem for another day. For now, at least, no one will bother you, my precious Bee."
Noble noted that he had resisted the urge to call her his Queen Bee, and she was thankful.
She truly had the best husband in two worlds.
Dewy-eyed, she nodded slowly. "I'd like to go home now, please."
It took a few moments for Noble to change out of the hospital gown and back into the Loyal Tabard. There was nothing else except for her armor to wear. The purple underpinnings of her Queen Bee armor were rather distinctive, and Noble didn't want to fan the flames of rumors as she exited the building.
"Can we invest in a better clothing Memory?" Noble was grateful for her surcoat, but it wasn't exactly stylish. At the rate that she was ruining her mundane clothes, it would be cheaper to commission a Memory for her to wear daily.
"We can get anything you want," Fort said easily. "You've certainly earned it."
The amount of credits Noble could earn from her research papers alone after the Nightmare would be enough to fund a shopping spree of Memories, but the professor had always been frugal. She would save as much as possible for a rainy day.
Fort shot her a winsome smile and held out his hand. "Are you ready?"
Noble's heart raced. Her fingers brushed against his, sending warmth through her whole body.
"As ready as I'll ever be," she managed.
"You look beautiful," Fort assured her. "And…if you won't be upset with me for saying so…You look younger too."
Noble blushed. "You are just saying that to flatter me."
"Although that is a wonderful side effect, I merely speak the truth." Fort shrugged. "I wouldn't be surprised if you left me for a supermodel or pop singer now."
"I would never!" Noble started, but then her husband began to chuckle. She pushed him lightly. "Now take me home before I change my mind."
"With pleasure!" Fort said a little too eagerly.
Taking her hand, he led her out into the hall. Noble had expected to see Sarai waiting for them, but Umbei was there with a note instead. The fiery Master had made sure that Rain and the boys had a ride home and had managed to procure a new communicator for the professor's personal use.
"I figure your other one is probably long gone. Try not to lose this one in the heat of battle," Noble read the end of the note aloud to Fort.
"Sounds like a good plan to me." Fort wrapped his arm around his wife's waist protectively.
"I don't suppose she left you my wedding ring, did she?" Noble looked hopefully at the healer.
"She didn't. I'm sorry…" Umbei shrugged.
"My ring is in the Keepsake. It was the only way to get it home." Noble sighed apologetically.
"Don't worry about it," Fort clicked his tongue. "I'll just have to be extra affectionate in public until you get it back so people know you are taken. I wouldn't want anyone to get the wrong idea!" Fort kissed his wife before she could object.
Noble rolled her eyes at her husband's antics and bid Umbei farewell.
By luck or by design, the hallway to the exit was nearly empty of people. The couple of staff members that they passed stopped and lowered their heads as Noble passed. The professor could sense their reverence, and it gave her pause.
They weren't honoring Brenna, Queen of Crestfall. They were showing their respect for Noble, Ascended defender of the human world.
'Strange.'
But there wasn't time to contemplate how her life was about to change. As she exited the hospital, Noble lifted the new communicator in her hand and waited for it to connect.
"Hey Mom, it's me. I'm back…"