... because if it is just one of those cases of inconsistency, where "first" is a title in early texts and only an adjective for Linsandrych in later texts, I would suggest retconning it so that the titles are separate functions.

For example, maybe Linsandrych was the "first" to hold the Master of Lore rank, but "First Master of Lore" was not separate from her role as the Argent Mirror. She vanishes, powers begin devolving. The First Master of Lore becomes the title of their chief advisor to the monarch, similar to "Prime Minister" versus Ministers, responsible for calling the internal assemblies of the Masters of Lore and maybe referring individual Masters as special advisors.

The Chief Scholar becomes something like the president of a university system, the head bureaucrat coordinating the Council of Elders. The council would only consult with the royals in the context of a convened meeting. The Masters of Lore are virtually autonomous, so the Chief Scholar wouldn't really have anything to do with them. Lords and Commons. Unless "Chief" means something even more mundane, without any significant power other than the given Loremaster ranks.

- Xorus' player