"We have been playing a dangerous game for years now. Luck has been on our side that we have been able to act, however subtly, against the tide of war. What you have described is the wave crashing against the shore. Which power sent the wave is irrelevant now. The landscape has been irrevocably changed." Fort pinched the bridge of his nose.
He had been working for so long to redistribute supply lines and strategically place government agents to delay the inevitable. If anyone felt the attack more keenly than Nephis right now, it was Fort.
He took his wife's hand.
"I appreciate your desire to do the right thing. It's one of the things I love most about you. Your kindness will not reap the desired effect."
Noble furrowed her brow.
"But without me, Dar…"
"Dar will continue to be blamed no matter what some Master from Ravenheart has to say. The blame game is key in the instigation of conflict. Song will blame Valor, and Valor will blame Song. The truth has sadly already become irrelevant as far as the Sovereigns are concerned. So, unless you have undeniable evidence to prove what you claim, it will be your word against theirs. Do you have that evidence?" Fort held out his palm.
"You know I don't." Noble balled her fist.
There was no evidence to find. The arrows that Noble had seen were either destroyed in the attack or would have been disposed of afterward.
"So speaking out will do nothing…" The woman was surprised when Fort shook his head.
"It will do plenty. It will expose your connections with Valor, blow your cover as a secret Saint, and put a target on your back for those who didn't want their plot brought into the light." The man held up three fingers before adding a fourth. "Oh, and when you blame Helie, she will know you are Bel and are still alive. I'm not sure that is the way you wanted to let her know."
"How did you…" Noble's mouth opened slightly.
Fort managed a smile. "I'll have you know that I do, in fact, listen when you talk. When you described your Nightmare, you said that Helie was the only person besides Dar who could make that impossible shot on the dragon."
"I did say that, didn't I…" Noble felt like slapping herself in the face.
"Saint Kai was present for the whole ordeal, so unless you know another overly adept archer who you consider a friend worth protecting, she's the only choice." Fort nodded.
"You are a little too smart for your own good, you know," Noble nudged her husband under the table with her foot.
It was a bit of a relief that he knew, and even more encouraging to know he didn't feel the urge to immediately report her former cohort member.
What he said made sense. Coming forward was mutually assured destruction with minimal benefit.
The only one who would benefit would be the current scapegoat.
"I'll see what I can do about clearing Dar's name," Fort promised. "Other than your encounter at the ball, he hasn't been spotted for months. On the bright side, I can guarantee the government is already on its back foot and will do what it can to look competent. I will assist however I am able."
"Thank you." Noble smiled at her husband.
"I can see you aren't satisfied with my answer." Fort took her hand. "If there was anything else I could do."
Noble sighed.
"It isn't you. I just hate this. You know this is the second time since becoming a Saint that I have had to sit by and just let things happen? I feel so helpless."
"I am sorry. That must be very hard for you." Fort's words didn't match his emotions. She had struck a nerve.
Noble narrowed her gaze. "What is it?"
"It's nothing." The handsome man shook his head.
"Fort…"
The man exhaled slowly.
"You want to do something and change the world, but don't have enough power to do it? Welcome to the club. I was recently elected president."
"Oh, my love!" Noble's eyes opened wider. She had been busy feeling sorry for herself and hadn't really thought about how the news would affect Fort. Suddenly, she felt very selfish. "You do plenty, more than anyone could ever ask."
"But it's not enough," Fort ran his fingers through his hair. "It hasn't been for a long time."
Noble floated her chair back and stood. Moving behind her husband, she wrapped her arms around his neck. "You do more than enough for me. You just saved me from throwing myself into a fruitless fray against a Sovereign. That's not to mention how you rescue me daily. You are my anchor, and I would be lost without you."
"That's kind of you to say." Fort patted the arms wrapped around him. "I just wish I could do…"
"More? I'm pretty sure I'm the president of that club. Never feeling like it's enough? Yeah, that worry is my constant companion." Noble took a deep breath.
"You do more than enough for me," Fort repeated his wife's words back to her. "You protect our family, protect me." Fort lifted the back of his wife's hand to kiss it. "You think you would be lost without me? I know I would be lost without you. I've lived it, remember?"
Noble knew he was referring to her fateful fall through a gate. Her heart ached all over again.
"Then how about this? From now on, we feel helpless together instead of by ourselves. At the very least, we won't be alone."
"It would be nicer to be able to do something." Fort rested his chin against his wife's arm.
"Don't I know it." Noble would have gone straight to the Jade Palace and the heart of Bastion to knock some sense into the Sovereigns if she had thought it would do any good. When there was a problem, she wanted nothing more than to solve it.
However, some things could not be fixed.
Fort shook his head. "I hate this."
"Me too." Noble tilted her head. "But I love you."
"I love you too. Always." Fort stood and hugged his wife tightly.
Noble sighed. "Now that you know, do you want to tell the boys about the attack against Lady Nephis?"
Fort shook his head. "It can wait until morning. Let them have one more night of peace. We can give them that much."
"What about us? Can we find any peace tonight?" Noble's fingers interlaced with her husband's.
"I can think of one spot."
Leading his wife, Fort ambled outside and brushed off a small bench in front of their house. He sat down and pulled his Noble onto his lap.
"How about this?"
The floating woman didn't respond. Instead, she summoned her Fire Insurance charm to keep him warm before leaning against his chest.
She could practically feel the news spreading. All over, people were suddenly upset as a neighbor or family member brought the news to the next doorstep. By morning, everyone would know. But Noble blocked it out and listened to her husband's steady heartbeat. She would not let the moment be ruined.
The pair stayed that way for a while, staring into a future that was both uncertain and scary. When the light came on in the front yard, they decided it was time to go to bed.
All too soon, the new day dawned. With it came a new reality.
Noble could feel it from the moment she opened her eyes. The subjects of the Song Domain didn't all know it, but a new era had come.
The clan war had arrived.