After an entire day of running messages around the city, only the briefest nap before the ball, followed by the ball and his time in the parlor with Gael ... Being extremely busy was not unusual. Most people thought the hardest part of being the Voice was not sharing all the secrets to which he must be privy. Noire found most secrets were easy to keep—the only secret that agonized him was his love for Gael. No, the hardest part of being the Voice was the physical demands. Running all day, going with little to no sleep, and often being so busy that even food fell by the wayside. When he was finally able to hold still for a little while, he relished it. He would have given anything to be allowed to fall into bed and not wake up for a week. But he pushed on, spurred by the way Gael had asked him if he would choose Gael or Ailill. And Gael probably had not meant it that way, but it had hurt all the same. The same way it hurt that Gael stayed with his sisters. The same way it hurt that Gael refused to tell the world about them for Noire's safety.
