The Noble Queen-A Shadow Slave Fanfic

Chapter 854 854: Straightforward People

Ray caught Fleur up in his arms and spun her around the hall. The hospital robe she had been given fluttered around her legs. The young man held her close.

"You're not hurt!"

The redhead hugged Ray tightly.

"I'm fine. You know that Lady Nephis healed me before Lord Shadow brought me to you. What about you?! I heard you were carted up to the medical bay!"

Fleur began to look for injuries on Ray, just like he had done when she showed up at that strange temple.

"I was just worried about you and might have overreacted a tad. I am good now that you are here." It was Ray's turn to assure her.

He punctuated his point with a kiss just a tad too long for the onlookers' comfort.

Noble passed them and walked to the third member of the group.

"Lady Tamar, I am happy to see you."

The ashen-haired woman gave a small smile. "I'm glad someone is."

Ray pulled away but kept his arm around Fleur. "I was worried about you, too. Ask the professor!"

"Your name was mentioned alongside Fleur's," Noble nodded. "He was worried about both of you."

"Can you blame me? They were at the mercy of two Saints! I should have fought harder to stay," Ray lamented for the second time.

"Are you kidding?" Fleur burst into a fit of giggles.

Ray frowned.

"What's so funny?"

Tamar crossed her arms. "You think you could have done anything against two Saints and a handful of Masters?"

Ray puffed out his chest. "If I had known that demon was going to hoist me like a sack of synthpaste—" His shoulders deflated. "I would have floundered just as badly and still been thrown unceremoniously against the gateway…"

"I know you did your best, Ray." Fleur stroked his arm. "You are very good at hiding and were so brave to travel through Godgrave all alone. No one could have done that as a Sleeper except you. You saved us. It may not have been the triumphant exit you wanted, but you're still a hero."

"While I wouldn't have said it quite so flowery, Fleur is right. We are alive because of you." Tamar held out her hand, and Ray shook it.

"We're a team," the young man shrugged off the praise. "If I had to hide out in a dark hole for days on end, I'm glad it was with the two of you." Ray winced. "Uh, that sounded better in my head."

"You were thrown at the gateway pretty hard," Fleur frowned, "Are you sure you don't have a concussion?"

As Fleur continued to check on her boyfriend's well-being, Noble regarded the ashen-haired legacy beside her.

"It seems you have had one of the more memorable exits from the Dream Realm after the Solstice."

"I suppose that is true." Tamar nodded. Few people ended their Solstice in the company of not one but two Saints.

"How are you holding up?" The Professor's question received a small shrug.

"Aside from being mildly annoyed by those two?" Tamar pulled her eyes away from the happy couple. "Mostly I'm just relieved and tired."

"Don't go to sleep until you can get anchored to your father's citadel. I imagine he is already on his way here if he is in the waking world." Noble felt for Saint Sorrow, but he wasn't on or near the campus just yet.

"I am looking forward to seeing him, too. There is a lot I need to tell him." Tamar tugged at her robe. "Though what exactly I will tell him remains to be seen."

"Are you worried that he will be upset by your encounter with Lady Changing Star?" Noble hoped the Saint wouldn't blame his daughter for something out of her control.

"No." Tamar shook her head. "If anyone has the right to be upset, it's Lady Changing Star. I had such a poor opinion of her when I left for the Solstice. Yet she knew who I was and who my father was, and she still chose to save me. The princess wasn't at all what I expected."

Noble could feel the young woman's admiration. It was a far cry from the disdain she felt only a week before.

"Ray said you were kept back so Lady Nephis could speak with you."

It wasn't really the professor's business, but she was very curious.

Tamar nodded. "I thought she might ask me not to admit that I had seen her. But it was just the opposite. Lady Changing Star said I could be honest about our entire interaction. She also said that she understood if I needed to hold back and that she would not blame me if I did."

Noble pressed her lips together. Singing the praises of the Princess of Valor would not go over well in the Song Domain. When war broke out, anyone who was outspoken support of the opposition could be accused of being a spy.

"If you want your encounter in Godgrave to remain a secret, you need to act fast. Ray spilled his part of the story to the orderlies and Umbei, but it can still be contained." The Professor wouldn't lie, but she also saw no reason to go around spreading trouble.

"There's no need. I will tell the truth when asked. I've always been a straightforward person, and I see no reason to change that now." Tamar's resolve was absolute, and Noble approved wholeheartedly.

It was the best course of action as far as the professor could see.

While both hiding and bragging would potentially bring unwanted attention to the quiet legacy, being up front and purely factual would not give anyone a reason to doubt her.

"Very good." Noble nodded.

"You know what else is good?" Fleur broke away from her ministrations to join the conversation. "Lady Changing Star was very displeased to hear about the attempt on Tamar's life. She charged the Firekeepers to look into the matter. She assured us we wouldn't have to worry about a future attack going forward."

"And you believe her?" Noble realized belatedly that her question sounded rude.

Thankfully, Tamar understood her genuine concern. "I do. If Princess wanted me dead, she could have left me in the Death Zone. While I won't stop watching my back, I don't believe any attempt on my life will be by her hand."

The legacy felt at peace with her words, and Noble was very glad to hear them.

'At least someone isn't taking every opportunity to injure the competition.'

Unless this was a plot to turn the tide in Valor's favor. If it were, then Noble hoped Lady Nephis's goodwill would extend to every Awakened so that the war could be over before it began.

That, of course, was just wishful thinking. Whatever Changing Star's motive was, Noble would not be able to discern it through speculation.

However, there was someone who might be able to shed some light on the situation…

Which was ironic considering where he spent most of his time.

Noble waited until the trio was turned over to a government agent who would brief them on their options. Though in the professor's mind, the point was moot. All three of them would end up being tethered to Saint Sorrow's citadel.

Even without Noble's accidental intervention, the three had bonded to make a solid cohort. Still, protocol needed to be followed.

Leaving them in good hands, Noble returned to the Dream Realm.

She had questions that needed answering. She had a shadow to find.