Page 6 of The Sovereign, Part One (The Sovereign Saga #1)

“For centuries, this story has been used to explain the innate human longing for companionship, for the drive that leads us to find connection. And for centuries, that search was left to chance, to fate, to the hope that somewhere, somehow, we would find the person meant for us.”

I exhaled, my voice steady, my conviction deepened by the reality I had just stepped away from.

“But we no longer have to search. We no longer have to hope. Hyperion has given us more than order and security—it has given us the ability to know, without doubt, that we will never have to navigate this life alone. That we will always have someone beside us, someone who understands us at our deepest level, someone whose very existence is intertwined with our own.”

I let my fingers skim over the cool surface of the podium, grounding myself.

“Today, I stand before you not only as an advocate of these principles, not only as someone who has studied the impact of Sovereign-Supplicant integration, but as someone who now understands it in a way I never could before.”

I paused, replaying the moment Maxim’s image materialized before me, the undeniable shift in my mind as if my very chemistry had recalibrated in his presence.

Now it all made sense, the way Papa looked at my mina, pure awe in his expression, as if he were standing before something sanctified.

It was the way two lives, meticulously constructed for one another, aligned without effort, their existence bound by something deeper than mere design, beyond the predictable surges of dopamine and oxytocin.

It wasn’t obligation. It wasn’t dependence.

It was mutual devotion, an unwavering certainty that they were meant to walk through this life together, without doubt, without hesitation.

For the first time, I saw my future not just as a progression of carefully planned events but as something that would truly belong to me.

Maxim would be my partner, my foundation, the presence I would turn to at the end of each day and know—without question—that I was exactly where I was supposed to be.

There was a reason Hyperion fought so hard to grow, to improve, to maintain our society.

“Six days from now, I will begin my life with Maxim. He is not just a carefully designed life partner; he is the embodiment of everything Hyperion stands for. Safety. Stability. Intimacy. A future where we’re no longer fractured beings searching for completion, but whole, fulfilled, and at peace.”

I scanned the room, knowing many in the audience had already experienced what I was just beginning to grasp.

“For those of you who have already met your Supplicant, you understand what I mean. And for those who have yet to reach this stage, I can tell you, there is nothing theoretical about what we have built here. It’s not an algorithm, not a transaction. It’s something more.”

A pause. A shift.

“When I think about my future now, I don’t just see my own fulfillment.

I see the next generation, our children, raised in a world where love is not left to chance, where stability is not a privilege but a right.

Imagine what it means for them to grow up in homes free of uncertainty, of miscommunication, of fractured families.

To be nurtured by parents who are perfectly aligned, who never falter in their devotion.

This is the world we’re building. This is the world Hyperion has made possible. ”

I straightened, my voice unwavering. “I am no longer simply promoting this future. I am about to live it. This is not just the right path. It is the only path. And I have never believed in anything more.”

The room sat in silence for a breath, for two. And then, applause. Steady at first, then swelling, filling the space with a shared acknowledgment that what we had built, what we had chosen, was unbreakable in its purpose and undeniable in its power.

The moment I stepped off the stage, adrenaline still coursing through my veins, I barely had time to catch my breath before Lourdes appeared beside me. Her face was radiant with excitement, her icy eyes gleaming with a mix of pride and exhilaration.

“That was extraordinary,” she said, clutching my arm. “You didn’t just command the stage, you inhabited it. I knew you’d rise to the moment, but Isara… that was luminous. I’m certain half the room forgot to breathe.”

I let out a breathy laugh, shaking my head. “I don’t know about that.”

“Oh, please. Did you not hear the way they reacted? That wasn’t just polite applause. That was belief.” She let her hands fall from my arm to my hand, squeezing my fingers in hers. “We need to catch up soon. I need to hear everything about this past year, Maxim, all of it. I mean it.”

I smiled, genuinely touched, but before I could respond, movement in the crowd caught my attention. Chiron and Artemis were making their way toward me. Lourdes noticed as well, her hand falling away from mine as they approached.

Chiron Sorran and Artemis Jhendai, the very foundation of Hyperion’s power, moved toward me with an air of purpose, their presence impossible to ignore even in the buzzing aftermath of the event.

As they advanced, conversations around us tempered, a ripple of awareness spreading through the crowd.

Eyes followed them, some curious, some calculating.

A few steps behind, Constant Remus hovered, her expression carefully composed, but the rigid set of her shoulders betrayed the simmering frustration she fought to contain.

“Primara Vasthane,” Chiron said, reaching for Lourdes’s hand. “How lovely to see you.”

“Likewise, Chiron,” Lourdes said. “Isara is one of my oldest friends. I’m thrilled you’ve chosen her to represent Hyperion today.”

I tensed. No one addressed the Primarch by name in public.

Not even Artemis. He was Primarch Sorran —always.

But Lourdes moved through the world as if rank were ornamental and rules were for others.

It wasn’t defiance. It was entitlement, bred so deep it never occurred to her that she should bow to anyone.

Not even the most powerful man in Hyperion Proper.

“Is that so?” Artemis said, observing me with new interest.

Lourdes gave me one last, knowing glance before stepping back. “We’ll talk soon. Don’t let them scare you.”

Chiron and Artemis chuckled, as if taking Lourdes’s remark as a playful jest. She was one of the rare few in Hyperion Proper with enough audacity and influence to speak so boldly, and we all knew it.

But as quickly as she appeared, she stepped back, seemingly swallowed up by the crowd, leaving me standing as the architects of The Citadel’s dominance turned their full attention toward me.

“Senior Advisor Poeima,” Chiron greeted, his voice smooth, confident but laced with curiosity. “That was quite the speech.”

Artemis agreed. “Unexpectedly compelling. You presented Hyperion’s vision with a depth that, I admit, I didn’t anticipate.”

I held my stance, my heart thudding in my chest, but my voice remained even. “Thank you, Primarch Sorran, Minister Jhendai,” I said, greeting them with a respectful nod. “It was an honor to speak on behalf of Hyperion’s future.”

Chiron tilted his head slightly, studying me as if I were a particularly interesting variable in an equation he hadn’t yet solved. “Tell me, Isara… was that the speech you originally planned to give?”

I hesitated for only a breath before answering. “No, sir. It wasn’t.”

Something in his expression changed—pleased, intrigued. “Good.”

Artemis folded her arms, considering me. “I’d like to hear more about your perspective. We’ll set up a meeting. Soon.”

I nodded, forcing myself to remain composed, even as the implications of their interest settled over me like a second skin.

Behind them, Constant stood still, her fingers curling into her palms, her carefully crafted plan to expose me as being incompetent crumbling before her eyes.

I returned to my office via the Skith to find Bellam already waiting. Her eyes gleamed with barely contained excitement. “Everyone’s talking about it. Chiron and Artemis were at the Enclave? They heard your speech! What the Vale was that? They never make unscheduled appearances.”

I exhaled, dropping into my chair. “I don’t know. But whatever it was, it means something.”

Bellam crossed her arms. “Have you checked if your Court Date has been scheduled yet?”

I looked around. “It’s a courting commencement date, Bell. They don’t like the diminutive.”

“I don’t care. I’m not saying all that.”

I sighed. “For the record, you’re the bad influence.”

She shrugged. “I’m efficient. Answer my question. Have you checked?”

“You know it’s auto-populated once the final segment is complete.”

“So check, you glitch, I need to know!”

“Okay, okay, no need to be mean about it,” I said, tapping into my auric interface. “There. See? Saturday.” I paused. “Ish, that’s a week from tomorrow. I’m going to meet Maxim in eight days.” I waited for excitement, panic, or anything at all to strike. Nope. Nothing. “It still doesn’t feel real.”

Bellam sighed, tilting her head as she stared at the date hovering in the air between us. “The 21 st is your Court Date, and thirty days after that is your Oathbond. I can’t believe you’ll be someone’s wife in less than five weeks.”

“Bellam… he looked at me.”

“Who? Chiron?”

I shook my head. “Maxim. I can’t explain it, but… he saw me. He was just as excited as I was.”

Bellam’s skeptical expression didn’t waver. “A rendering looked down at you… with emotion?”

“I mean, why not? His file is complete.”

“I’ve never heard of that happening,” she said, dismissive.

“That doesn’t mean it doesn’t.” I hesitated, struggling to put it into words. “I wish I could describe it to you. His eyes were… No one has ever looked at me that way before.”

She studied me for a moment before breaking into a smirk. “Either way, you’re going to have to be better than your best. The brass has its eyes on you now.”

I sighed, shaking my head. “That’s incredibly motivating. Thanks.”

Bellam grinned. “Always here for you, Is.”