The Soul Reborn: From Silence to Sovereignty Chapter 67

Chapter 67: Too Persuasive to Ignore

After all the formalities were out of the way, everyone was able to move around freely for the next few hours until the end of the banquet. They could start up conversations with whoever they wished or just enjoy themselves.

A few of the younger lords and overly polished nobles tried to challenge my ideals, not with real points, of course, but with empty questions wrapped in polite skepticism.

“What if education leads to more unrest?”

“Don’t commoners already have roles suited for their… capabilities?”

“Shouldn’t we focus on strengthening noble bloodlines rather than diluting authority?”

Ah yes, the same old arguments, cloaked in elegance and self-importance.

These men were the perfect example of why we need better education. All their arguments were coming from a place that was irrelevant to the actual topic.

I wanted real reasons, not empty posturing. They didn’t know how to think for themselves, only echoing the words of fathers who feared change more than failure.

Whenever one of their low-IQ questions came my way, I answered with a calm rebuttal grounded in facts. I also made sure to lace my explanations with as many big words as possible while dismantling their flawed logic.

It was comical to see them come with such pride only to leave showing pensiveness, retreating into their chairs with muttered thoughts and furrowed brows.

Most of them showed slight glares, pretty much saying, "How dare a female talk to me in such a way?"

I just smiled at them as Noah lingered behind me, scaring off the people who didn’t deserve my time. If they have a legitimate argument, I would allow them to speak their mind, but if it’s a waste of time. Just fuck off!

With the evening drawing to a close, our musicians struck up a tune, signaling the shift from politics to pleasure.

Servants moved through the hall with wine and desserts. Couples drifted to the polished stone floor to dance. Others simply mingled, forming tight little circles of conversation that spun like their own orbiting systems.

But one thing was abundantly clear: I wasn’t invited to any of them. Not like I even cared, but drawing a line in the sand can only bring despair later on.

Once I begin expanding my influence across the North and the standard of living rises, I’ll remember this. They won’t get a seat at the table. In time, they’ll simply fade from relevance, with no one willing to make deals with those who stood against progress.

I was the literal sun of the North, and everything would eventually orbit around me. So either align with my gravity or be flung into the void.

Noah and I both wanted to dance, but it just wasn’t realistic with my current condition. Lyra was no more than two months away, and I wouldn’t risk getting hurt.

The shape of my belly rounding the front of my dress and the weight of fatigue pressing against my back were more than enough to handle.

No one asked me to move or stand, making their way over to me if they wished to converse.

They stood one by one, sometimes two or three at a time. Men rose beside women, nobles alongside heirs from lesser houses. Even a few visiting merchant lords, seated at the outer tables, joined them.

The faces of those individuals were always cautious with a show of curiosity on their faces. Surprisingly, with well-phrased questions, I graciously answered every single one of them.

“How will the teachers be trained?”

“I’ve started by educating the first five professors myself. In time, they’ll become instructors who can teach others, creating a cycle of excellence that I hope will spread across the entire North.” I gave a small smile at these nobles who were listening seriously.

“Who pays for the school?”

“Initially, we did, but soon. The people will, with a single tax that ensures education will be free to all, knowledge will become a right.”

“Are you sure that's wise? Some have warned it could lead to rebellion down the line.”

“It will encourage accountability, not rebellion. Education gives people the language to speak before they scream. Without knowledge or even basic sense, violence becomes the only answer.”

Livia stood just behind me, quietly watching, occasionally refilling my drink or murmuring the names of nobles I couldn’t quite place. She didn’t speak much, but her gaze did all the work. People saw her loyalty and kept their interactions measured.

She also seemed to have this overbearing pressure that would radiate off her, very similar to Noah’s. Swordsmen are something else; I’m so jealous!

Noah, of course, remained on my other side, unwilling to leave me while I was this far along in my pregnancy. He sat beside me like a fortress guarding the heart of his world, only rising now and then to greet foreign dignitaries or share a quiet laugh with one of his war captains.

But he was never gone for too long, returning with a quick pace.

His very presence reminded everyone to watch their words and show my wife the respect she's owed.

It still surprises me how well I’ve found myself falling into this type of life. So natural in a place with all high-ranking individuals, yet I never seemed to falter.

Ruling with Noah by my side felt like having training wheels for world domination. His presence gave me the strength to speak boldly, knowing someone that powerful was ready to crush any threat before it reached me.

I was very happy that many people approached me with at least attempting to ask real questions seeking an understanding of what’s to come.

Is it with good or bad intentions? We will only know in the future.

The music faded into something softer; nobles had danced, dined, or quietly slipped away, and for a moment, I truly believed the night would end peacefully. It was foolish in hindsight.

In the middle of the room, a man started walking in our direction, looking completely wasted.

From what I could remember, his name was Viscount Derlan Frost. His path forward pushed through many noble groups, getting on the nerves of some influential people.

He was infamous, from what I could remember; even among the most useless of nobility, he stood at the very top of that hill.

A man who thought a sharp blade could replace a thought and that yelling louder made him right.

I sipped calmly from my glass as he stumbled toward our table. Noah stood the moment the man’s gaze became transfixed on me.

“Don’t,” I whispered, gently placing a hand on his arm. “Let’s see what truth looks like with ale on its breath.”

Noah refused to sit, standing slightly in front of me, and I couldn’t blame him for that. At least he didn’t strike yet because I was genuinely curious what he was about to say.

The room fell silent, everyone sensing that something was about to happen. All eyes were on us, though the drunken man remained completely unaware of his surroundings.

“Archduchess,” Derlan slurred, bowing without a hint of sincerity. “I just had to speak my mind. All this talk of books, schools, and giving knowledge to farmers who never earned it…”

He snorted. “You’re making the North soft. People don’t need textbooks, but strong arms or huge swords. You can’t read your way through a war.”

A few gasps echoed softly through the room. Others just looked away, ashamed to be in the same room as this man.

He then waved a hand dismissively in Noah’s direction. “And you… big man! Listening to your wife yap like some scholar when you should be rallying soldiers is pathetic.”

Noah just stood there with my hand still on his arm. But his aura changed the room into a much colder atmosphere. Of course I could only vaguely feel it, but I saw everyone's expressions.

I felt his body start to shake, not because of fear or anything like that, but because this man wanted to murder the individual in front of him. He would move the second I took my hand away, I have no doubt.

But I just smiled.

“Tell me, Viscount,” I said while setting down my glass. “When was the last time you opened a book?”

“Opened one?” He scoffed at the idea. “I’d rather use a book to knock some sense into a man or tear out the pages for toilet paper.”

Some light laughing and mockery was heard throughout the room. It was in a low voice but nonetheless present.

“Ah… so that’s why you’ve been hitting your own head for decades.”

Some laughs off in the distance, but what I noticed was his eyes narrow.

“I understand you think strength comes from your arms,” I said, my voice calm and clear. “But tell me, do you know how to purify water? Treat an infection? Count grain yields over winter and predict what will be left by spring.

He tried to respond, but at the same time he looked around and saw he was the center of attention. The words got caught in his throat.

“Do you know why your livestock got sick or the signs of a poisoned well?”

The scowl on his face explained his whole thought process.

“Right… that’s because even most nobles don’t truly understand the world, despite having an education. They were never taught anything that actually matters, only how to maintain their status.”

I gave him a disgusted look; he was the example of why nobles shouldn’t remain in power if they’re not going to actually better themselves.

“So… pathetic,” As those words rolled off my tongue, he took a step forward.

The world changed in the blink of an eye.

Bors was the first. He moved so fast the floor cracked beneath his feet, arm outstretched like a living wall of iron.

Kellan was already in front of me, eyes sharp, and his hand on the hilt of a blade he hadn’t drawn in weeks, with his shield’s intimidating size for all to see.

Noah wrapped me in a protective embrace, shielding me completely from any potential threat. I was sure he had already seen Bors and Kellan moving to act, but he positioned himself in front of me anyway, ready to use his own body if something unexpected happened.

“One more step,” Noah said as he looked back at the man while covering me protectively. “And I will break your jaw so cleanly you’ll never insult another woman without writing it in ink.”

Derlan froze and, I think, got sober in an instant, realizing what type of position he was currently in.

He was completely surrounded by some of the North’s strongest warriors, and it was clear he was provoking the archduchess. His life now hung by a thread, uncertain whether he would leave this room alive.

I tried to move past Noah to speak to this man, who now had fear in his eyes, but Noah wouldn’t allow it. So I just spoke from my current position.

“Let this be a lesson, Viscount,” I said.

“Stupidity is never harmless. It's loud and reckless simply because it lacks direction. It leads men to believe they can seize power without ever grasping the weight of it.”

I leaned back into my chair and smiled, knowing everyone in the room saw a legitimate reason why we need better education.

“If you still don’t understand why I fight for what I believe, look in a mirror. You’re my greatest argument.”

Noah turned sharply to the guards posted near the door.

“Remove him.”

They didn’t hesitate. As the viscount was dragged away, he shouted slurred insults that no one in this room would truly respect.

Livia stepped beside me with her usual dryness.

“You really are amazing to just stand there without flinching even when he made a move in your direction.”

I smiled faintly. “With all of you around, it's hard not to feel confident; even you, Livia, could probably have stopped that guy.”

“Honestly,” Livia commented. “If he actually touched you, I think I would have a hard time not wanting to cut off that arm.”

My face trembled with a chuckle at Livia’s words. “That alone comforts me.” It showed how much she truly cared and increased my overall faith in the one who I spent most of my days with.

The event was winding down with the last of the noble guests offering shallow bows and stammered compliments as they made their exits. Some were earnest or careful, but surprisingly, the majority seemed thoughtful.

I sat with Noah holding my hands, while Livia quietly ensured I was comfortable. The atmosphere was warm, leaving me genuinely content with how the night had ended.

That was until, just before we left for our room, a message arrived.

One of Noah’s shadow guards showed up and slipped him a folded parchment. The weight in his shoulders told me everything I needed to know.

He didn’t try to hide it. Without hesitation, he handed it to me.

I took the scroll into my waiting fingers and, before asking a single question, unfolded it in a hurry, eager to see what it contained.

***

To His Majesty the King,

The Archduchess’s words cannot be dismissed. They’re too dangerous! They weren’t met with ridicule, but curiosity. Even from the nobility.

She speaks clearly and logically. Her message is not just persuasive, but it’s irrefutable. If permitted to continue, her influence will spread far beyond the North, I have no doubt.

What she proposes would destabilize every region built on noble privilege and religious myth. Her words alone could cause a rebellion because they make too much sense.

I recommend an immediate response.

Either demand the North send the archduchess to the capital to kneel publicly and denounce her vision, or we prepare for open conflict.

She doesn’t just plan to reshape Coldmere but spread it out from there as its epicenter.

***

My hand lowered slowly, trying to put together the implications of this information reaching the king.

Across the table, Noah watched me with that deep, unreadable stillness I’d come to rely on.

“Malhart,” I said with some contempt.

“He wasn’t on the guest list,” Noah replied. “I didn’t want him here, and I’m sure you felt the same way.”

I nodded. “And yet… like a snake, he slithered in through the cracks.”

Livia stepped up beside me, quieter than usual, eyes narrowed at the folded message now resting on the table.

“He heard every word,” I whispered. “He listened, and now he’s running to the crown.”

Noah’s jaw was tight, his hand resting over mine as he spoke low enough only I could hear.

"Yes… he’s already gone," he said. "You know you’ve declared war with words on those who refuse to see the future we’re building. Sooner or later, conflict is inevitable."

I exhaled slowly and then smiled.

“Let them come,” I said softly, fingers drumming over the edge of a glass. “We will see if they can silence truth with fear.”

Livia suddenly spoke up after being so quiet.

“You’ve made them listen, Your Grace. People are starting to think, and if that’s enough to scare a king… then maybe the world needs to be scared.”

I looked up at her, grateful for her words.

“If they truly expect me to kneel,” I said aloud, making sure those closest to me heard every word.

Noah answered before anyone else could.

“Then we give them a reminder.” He spoke with a voice that was low and dangerous. “That the North doesn’t kneel to any crown or even a god.”

I stood as well, with Noah pulling me up with a gentle tug, still holding onto my hand.

“They’re right to be afraid.” My voice was calm but certain: “Because I’m not just changing the North anymore.”

I looked to the darkened window, to the world beyond our borders.

“I’m going to change everything.” My tone was cold but confident.