"Bee! I came as soon as I could!" Fort huffed to a stop in front of his befuddled wife.
"What are you doing here? What's wrong?" Noble waited for her husband to catch his breath.
"What do you mean? Didn't you call me?" Fort looked up from his bent position.
He had run a long way, and quite quickly, if he had done so when Noble arrived in Ravenheart. He was very fit.
Noble blinked.
"Call you? How would I call you? I don't think I left The Other's Voice today, and I certainly didn't use it."
The professor touched her ear just in case she was wrong, but there was nothing there.
Fort furrowed his brow. "No, not the Memory. I…felt a pull in my emotions. I'm not sure how to explain it. It was like a beacon in my soul. I knew you were back from the waking world and that you needed me. I came straight home, and here you are! It was like you were leading me to you."
Noble reviewed her actions on her trip back from the palace. She had checked on her family like normal…
'My wish!'
Noble had been viewing the connection to Fort while wishing they were together. She was more connected to him than anyone else in the world; of course, it made sense that her longing would transmit to him.
'Did I lead him to me?'
Noble remembered how she had seen the connection shimmering. It did that from time to time when she felt deeply about Fort, but as the effect didn't seem to do anything harmful, she hadn't given it much thought.
Now, Noble realized it might have more of an effect than she realized.
Fort frowned. "Did I get it wrong? I thought you needed me."
"No, I mean yes, I always need you, but I didn't mean to. I'm fine. Sorry to have worried you."
Fort straightened, wrapping one arm around her waist and cupping her cheek with his other hand. "No need to be sorry. I'm just glad you are safe and not hurt. I was worried!"
Child of Promise brought her delicate fingers to her face.
"Your hands are like ice. Come out of the cold, and I can explain." Noble watched her heavy exhale turn to steam.
When the door shut, Noble leaned against it for a moment, still in disbelief that her desire had brought her husband to her.
Her Window to the Soul innate ability had enhanced her connections to others once she had become a Saint, but none more than Fort. He was her anchor, and at times she felt his soul was inseparable from hers.
The connection went both ways, and it seemed that he could act on it by following where she led.
Well, as long as the path led back to her.
Fort shrugged off his coat and hung it on a hook on the wall.
"Are you going to tell me what's going on? I know what I felt, and you can't say it was nothing."
"It wasn't nothing." Noble couldn't deny the results of her actions. She sighed. "I suppose I should begin at the beginning…"
Fort raised an eyebrow.
"That long of a story, is it? Let me light a fire then. Would you like some tea?"
"You handle the fire, I'll get the tea." Noble divided the labor, and they both went quickly to work.
Fort arranged the logs in the fireplace while Noble prepared the kettle. Once they were settled on the couch and the water was heating, Noble began her tale.
"I had an encounter with the Provost today. Two, in fact."
"Were they…pleasant?" Fort wasn't sure what to think.
Other than her award ceremony, Noble hadn't mentioned the head of the Academy in years.
"They were memorable. But the reason I seem to have unintentionally reached out was because I met his wife today. Would you believe Master Alden is married to his secretary?" Noble shook her head. "Before you get any ideas, they have been married for decades and are deeply in love. The tenderness between them made me long for you."
Fort pulled Noble closer to him on the couch. "So you came back early just because you missed me?"
The woman rested her head on his shoulder. "Not exactly. But you being here is a nice perk, and one I won't take for granted."
"Bee…" Fort was interrupted as the kettle began to whistle.
Noble floated it from the heat to fill the waiting cups on the table.
"I gave you the short version. Let me try the longer one now. As soon as I arrived this morning, I had a message waiting for me on my communicator. Three, actually, which in hindsight makes sense. I was summoned to the front gate for some VIPs. You'll never guess who they were either."
The tea was brewed and served by invisible hands as Noble laid out the account of her day. The introduction to the princesses, the tour, and the incident that made her famous for the day.
Fort listened, intensely curious. Why wouldn't he be? It was not only interesting, but it was also likely to affect his personal and professional life.
"It sounds like you had an eventful day. While I agree with Rock that you have to remain neutral in the war, leaving those girls and allowing bloodshed would have been wrong. It also sounds like Bee Two is…how can I put this…evolving. Is that even a thing?"
"I'm not sure. There's a reason Bee Two is one of a kind. You got my android for me from that special projects division that was dissolved, remember? I often wonder what the initial purpose was meant to be…no pun intended." Noble smiled.
The professor had often wondered about Bee Two's origin, but the records had been sealed and hidden, even from her trusty android—perhaps especially from the humanoid assistant.
If Noble had to guess, the records were destroyed long ago, and she wasn't curious enough to cause more trouble for herself.
She had enough trouble as it was.
As Fort chuckled at her accidental joke, Noble coughed.
"Yes, well, I told you about my first encounter with the Provost, but I haven't gotten to the second one. He summoned me to his office during my class."
"Oh? I guess he wasn't fond of being caught off guard by an event on campus." Fort guessed.
Noble nodded.
"That was my thought too, but we are both wrong. Seems that there are some big changes coming to the Academy. Provost Alden has decided to take a new post with the government in preparation for the coming conflict."
"I did hear a rumor that the Chancellor is forming a special council." The ambassador nodded.
"Yes, well, it seems Master Alden will be on it. That means he is retiring from the Academy, and they need someone to fill his place."
"Oh? Oh! You?" Fort seemed as shocked as Noble had been.
Child of Promise shrugged.
"I know there are people far more qualified and able to take on the post. I said as much to the Provost. I've all but turned him down. I insisted that I talk with you first, but as soon as you say no…"
"You should do it."