Page 10 of The Sovereign: Part One
“No need, Bym.I was just catching up with my guests,” Lourdes said, gesturing to us.
“Welcome, ladies,” he said, nodding once as he straightened his jacket with a tug.“Primara Vasthane,” he said, voice finally steady, “please allow me to escort you.The weather is exquisite today, and your table on the terrace is set and waiting.”
“Bym, you’re too kind,” Lourdes replied, offering him a soft smile, just enough to release the tension in his shoulders.
The maître d’ guided her through the archway and out onto the balcony as we followed, revealing a breathtaking terrace of white stone carved with abstract flourishes, framed by translucent privacy panels and an overhead canopy that shimmered with filtered light.The table, draped in pale linen, adorned with crystalline leirware and a centerpiece of orchids, rested at the edge of the overlook, offering an uninterrupted view of the skyline and cascading gardens below.It was a setting designed not just to impress, but to remind everyone present of precisely who it was for.
As we settled at our table, a Hiven approached with the precise grace of someone programmed to serve only the highest tiers of Sovereign.Her expression was neutral, her movements exact.Still, there was a subtle shift, posture held just a degree longer, voice modulated with even greater care.It wasn’t hesitation.It was deference.Hiven might not feel awe, but their protocols recognized hierarchy, and Lourdes Vasthane demanded the highest calibration.
Bellam caught it too, glancing at me before murmuring, “She just entered ceremonial mode.”
Lourdes remained entirely unfazed.
“We’ll be just a few minutes, darling,” she said, glancing at the nameplate on the Hiven’s collar.“I don’t believe we’ve met.”
“I’m Andress,” she replied, bowing her head.“It is an honor to serve you, Primara Vasthane.”
“A lovely name.If you could give us just a few minutes, we’ll be ready.”
“Of course, Primara.Please, take all the time you need.”
Lourdes glanced at Bellam, caught her expression, and then raised a brow at me before turning her attention to the menu—one she didn’t need to read.
“Did you not warn her?”
“About how others behave around you?”I asked.“I considered it.Then I thought you might enjoy the unfiltered reaction.”
The corner of Lourdes’s mouth lifted.“Your instincts weren’t wrong.”She took a sip of iced water from her leir, then added, “Fear is gauche.But discomfort?Always in season.”
“Of course it is,” Bellam said, deadpan.“Absolute power looks great in heels.”
Lourdes stifled a laugh.“It’s so silly.If they only knew I tripped on a grate this morning and nearly fell on my face.”
“I’m sure Leo and five Hiven prevented that travesty,” I said.
“Just Leo.And indeed, he did,” she said, covering a laugh.
“How is Leopold?Your anniversary is in a couple of months, isn’t it?”I asked.
Lourdes’s expression lightened instantly, elegance giving way to something warmer.“In June,” she said.“He embodies everything I prioritized during Veritas.Steady, attentive, deeply attuned.He doesn’t overreach, doesn’t posture.He holds space beside me like it’s instinct, not programming.Even after all this time, there’s a strength in the way he exists beside me.As if the noise of the world fades just enough to think when he’s near.”
“It does,” I said.“That’s the point.”
She glanced away for a moment, a rare tenderness settling in her expression.“I know I sound absurdly surprised, but I assure you it’s more than what you’d expect from Veritas results.It’s not just his tenderness and profound understanding; though, of course, he has those in abundance.It’s the way Leo makes me feel at home no matter where I am.It’s as if I can breathe easier with him beside me.That’s something I never expected, but I don’t know how I ever lived without it.”
She leaned in slightly, her voice edged with a note of satisfaction.“His enhancements are tailored for advanced tactical response, defense protocols well beyond standard accordant configurations.Faster reflexes, deeper situational intuition.I’ve never felt unguarded with him, not once.And he carries himself with the composure expected of anyone representing the Vasthane name.”She glanced toward the entrance.“He’s just outside speaking to Orator Cline.Tell me you have time to meet him after.”
“Of course,” I said, amused by the way she adjusted in her seat.Her usual composure had slipped into something almost giddy, as if she were experiencing the thrill of first love.
“I’ve always wondered,” Bellam said, setting down her leir, “and tell me if this is out of line, but how did the two of you become friends?You were raised middle-upper Sovereign, and Lourdes… well, her nursery probably had a guest wing.I assume you didn’t just bump into each other at a distributary cart by the lower Skith port?”
Lourdes smirked.“Not quite.During Velkyn’s nomination cycle, our household was tasked with hosting the Poeimas.It’s a social expectation.Vanguard families rotate hosting duties for nominees and their houses, to… assess compatibility, I suppose.Or to be seen playing well with others.”
“And by hosting, you mean—?”Bellam prompted.
“Dinners, joint outings, media-facing events.Manufactured warmth,” I said.“My papa never said so directly, but he hated every moment.Not the Vanguard, I should note,” nodding respectfully to Lourdes, “but the pomp and pageantry of it all.”
“Yet somehow you two became inseparable,” Bellam said.
