Now, Yuma's comment about staying as long as the Academy would have them made more sense. The princesses' desire to be called "Dreamer" instead of going by the title of "Lady" was also easier to understand.
They didn't just want to fit in. They needed to.
"Every person should be safe within these walls. We must do our best to keep it that way." The provost might have been retiring, but he had no intention of letting the school's standards slip.
"I will do what I can," Noble promised. Though what exactly that would look like, she wasn't certain.
"I know you will." The provost's confidence buoyed her spirit. He had more faith in her than she had in herself. He smiled sadly. "I imagine this meeting was a bit like drinking through a firehose."
"A bit." Noble would need a lot of time to process what had been said.
Alden sighed, his intense gaze finally showing a hint of exhaustion. "I wish I could say the days in this job get easier, and in some ways they do. But the rush of information? It never stops."
"I appreciate the honesty, sir." Noble rose once more from her seat.
Alden could sense the tension in the professor's stance. "I think I might have scared you away from my offer with my last remark."
"I told you I would consider it, and I will." Noble was tense, but not for the reason he believed. His words had swayed her ever so slightly. When she said she would consider it this time, she meant it.
'What is wrong with me?! I need to get out of here.'
Maybe Alden had a secret Ability that people in his presence started to agree with his wishes after a time. Yeah, that had to be it. Her insanity would abate when she left the room!
"I look forward to hearing your answer soon." Alden held out his hand.
Noble shook it with a strained smile. "I look forward to giving it."
The professor turned on her heels and dashed toward the door. It swung open ahead of her as Miss Mabel somehow anticipated her arrival at that exact moment.
"Come on in, Mabel," Alden welcomed the woman with a genuine smile.
Her stern expression faded for a moment. "In a minute, dear."
She shut the door separating the provost from herself and their guest.
"Master Noble."
Mundane or not, Miss Mabel's voice was not one that could be ignored. The professor stopped in her tracks.
"Aldie wouldn't trust just anyone." Mabel kept her voice low. "I love him, and he isn't good at letting go. But once he does, he's all in. The Academy will be yours and no one else's; you can be sure of that."
"Thank you, Miss Mabel."
The wrinkles in the lady's face deepened as she allowed a rare smile. "No, thank you."
Noble hurried into the hall, happy to see the backside of the second door.
She didn't even bother going back to her classroom. She would have to come back tomorrow.
So Child of Promise simply blinked out of existence and traveled across the Realm boundary.
Noble immediately felt for Fort and her children. They were alive and well. She lingered on her connection with Fort more than usual. Should she head to the office to see him? She decided against it. If only he were home today!
In the plane of existence only she could see, the connection between them shimmered, calling her. But she resisted the temptation to follow it.
'I won't disturb him.'
He would be home soon enough.
Noble sighed and glanced up at the structure before her.
The Jade Palace looked the same as it always had…only now it was missing three of its princesses.
Noble wasn't sure if hiding them there was brilliant or foolish, but it did seem unkind to the girls and the staff of the Academy. Ki Song was essentially using the latter as a human shield. Of course, the staff had always been that when it came to Nightmare Creatures and Gates, but this wasn't the same.
'It isn't the girls' fault,' Noble reminded herself. Yuma, Mei, and Lumin hadn't asked for this lot in life. They had not chosen to be adopted by a Sovereign, nor had they asked to grow up secluded from most of humanity and only surrounded by retainers who served them.
Some might have called the life charmed, but seeing how lost those girls looked, Noble couldn't agree. And now they had been sent from their home and the life they had known for their own safety.
Noble's heart went out to them.
'As hard as it is to be away from home, at least they won't be alone.'
Indeed, the palace she was gazing at would be missing many more princesses soon enough if the Provost were to be believed.
'Former Provost…soon-to-be-former Provost?…ah, so confusing.'
Not as confusing as Miss Mabel's parting words.
'She was practically handing over the keys to the Academy, and I didn't even say yes!'
Noble also hadn't said no…that was the problem.
'That husband and wife team should be running the place forever, not me!'
Actually, that was probably the most startling revelation of the day—finding out the Provost was married to his secretary! It sounded scandalous, but likely they were married before working together at the Academy.
When Noble did the math, their ages had to be close, but Alden looked at least thirty years younger than his bride.
That was, of course, due to his ascended body. Mabel looked her age, and there was no shame in that. However, it made for quite the mismatch visually.
Looks didn't matter to Alden. He had been truthful when he called his wife a beauty. He would never see her any other way.
It was a bit sad, though, to see their different life trajectories.
Of course, she and Fort were no different. Or rather, they were only a little different because Noble was a Saint instead of a Master.
Did people look at her and her husband and wonder? She doubted it just yet. Fort still looked young for his age, and Noble was certain he would always be handsome.
When the day came that people began to gossip about the older gentleman having married someone his daughter's age, Noble knew that she would be like Alden. To her, Fort would always be the most handsome man in two worlds.
Still, there was a dull ache in her heart, and Noble longed to wrap her arms around her husband's neck. She had come face to face with what the future held. Knowing it was one thing, but seeing it?
Noble had thought she had come to terms with that reality long ago. She had known that was her fate from the moment they got married. But just now, 'till death do us part' had taken on a visual form. There was nothing she could do. Time waited for no one.
"I will just enjoy each day we have. Tomorrow might never come anyway, so there is no use fretting about it." Noble marveled at how an imminent doomsday was actually comforting in this case.
Things really were upside down.
Noble's thoughts had flown almost as fast as her feet to lead her home. She should have had a few hours to collect her thoughts before her family got home, only there was a figure running toward her from the other end of the lane.
"Fort?"