Page 123 of The Sovereign: Part One
She turned to Maxim.“You’re likely already sensing it, a certainty, a pull.That’s alignment.It feels as if everything within you has finally found a place to rest.Let it ground you.What you feel today is the tide turning.Know this: the shore will come to meet you.”
“I believe you, Noryn,” Maxim said, sincere.“There aren’t words strong enough to express what it means to belong to this family.To bear the Poeima name is a privilege I feel in every breath, and I intend to honor it for as long as I exist.”
Mina reached up to Maxim’s shoulder, gave him a squeeze, and then turned to find a seat next to Avaryn.
Bellam slid in beside me, Roan in tow.“You’re stunning.I can’t wait to see what you’ve chosen for tomorrow.”
“I second that,” Maxim said, pressing a kiss to my cheek.
Bellam smiled at Maxim, studying him for a beat longer than usual.“You’re perfect for her.”She said it as if she were surprised, but then clarified, holding out her hand, palm down.“Not just because of the Veritas.It’s something else.”She watched him for another moment, her eyes narrowing.“The way you look at her reminds me of how Roan looks at me.Likeyouchoseher.”She paused, visibly second-guessing herself.“Oh, for Chiron’s sake, I’m sorry.That probably came out absurdly rude.Obviously, you didn’t choose her.I mean… not like that.Oh, that’s worse.I just meant…”—she sighed—“It’s like you’re two Sovereign who fell in love.”She laughed lightly, brushing it off with a wave.“I don’t know what I’m saying.Ignore me.I’m just happy for you both.”
Maxim and I traded glances, then he met Bellam’s eyes, offered a gracious smile, then gently drew me closer to his side.“It’s likely a residual imprint from the Veritas… what you’re noticing.Isara’s answers during the protocol shaped how I perceive and express affection.If it feels deeper, it’s because she asked for depth.If it looks like choice, maybe that’s because she wanted someone who would’ve chosen her, had he been able.”
“Seems just,” Roan said, his voice pitched with performative certainty.Then he leaned into Bellam’s ear, his words barely brushing the air between them.“Mind yourself.Keep pressing like that and I’ll begin to worry you’ve grown uncertain of me, and I’d hate to spend the evening nursing a wounded pride.”
Bellam covered her mouth.“I’m so sorry.”
I breathed out a laugh.“You’re fine.I’m glad you think so.I agree, what we have is… special.”
Maxim looked down at me, absolute adoration in his eyes.“How might Roan understand?Ah, I’ve got it.What lies between us would not be believed if told, yet here it lives, undeniable and ours.”
Roan gave Maxim a look of mild approval.“Where’s my leir?A response worthy of a toast.As if there could’ve ever been another.”
Lourdes entered as if the evening had been arranged around her arrival.“I must say, I’m stunned.I didn’t know Hecta had restraint in her repertoire.”Her eyes swept the room, one brow lifting.“Understated elegance.I stand corrected.”
Leopold followed close behind, offering the group a warm smile.“We seem to have taken the scenic route.But rest assured, no one arrives more precisely than my beautiful accordant, even if the clocks disagree.”
“Are we late?”Lourdes asked.
Leopold scrunched his nose and shook his head, immediately dismissing the thought of Lourdes being anything but perfect.
Lourdes lifted my hands in hers, eyes sweeping over me with measured grace.“You’re breathtaking, darling.Positively unfair.If I weren’t so terribly fond of you, I might be tempted to spill wine on this stunning dress.Accidentally, of course.”
“That’s a Vasthane compliment if I’ve ever heard one,” I said, squeezing her hands.
She turned to Maxim.“I know you recognize what an enviable gift you’ve been granted, Maxim.”
Maxim bowed slightly.“I certainly won’t argue with that.I’m not sure what I did to deserve her, but I’d do it all again.”
Lourdes and Leopold made the same sound at different octaves, with Lourdes touching her chest.
Maxim continued, “Thank you for coming.We’re honored, Primara.”
A side panel glided open, revealing a slender, elderly man with silver hair swept back from a high, noble brow.He wore a tailored mantle of ivory and gold that draped from his shoulders to his calves, the hem lined with subtle pattern work resembling the concentric seal of The Citadel.Though his frame was delicate, there was an obvious authority in the way he carried himself—each step unhurried and practiced.He made his way through the room, clasping hands, nodding to familiar faces, exchanging a few quiet words with Papa and Mina before finally reaching Maxim and me.
“Maxim.Isara.”His voice was smooth but worn.“I am Caleren Dov, a Cultural Arbiter of Tethering Rites.It’s a privilege to officiate your vows this evening.”He offered a small bow of the head, then turned toward the others with a gesture that somehow conveyed both grace and command.“If you would all take your seats, we’ll begin shortly.”
Our small group of loved ones followed him to the half circle of chairs, but Lev stayed behind.He took my hand and leaned in as if he were about to kiss my cheek, but instead, whispered in my ear.“Just go through the motions.I’ve taken care of it.”
I nodded as he released my hand, watching him take a seat next to Papa.
Maxim squeezed my hand.“Ready?”When I nodded, he led me to the center platform.
Caleren Dov offered a small smile as we joined him.“Good evening,” he said, his hands folded at his waist.“On behalf of the Dominion Office of Cultural Affairs and the Registry of Vestured Pairings, I welcome you all.”
Something inside me turned toward Maxim as if I were an old world compass that had suddenly found north.The adjustment was simple, the effect wasn’t.My heart complied.
“We are gathered this evening for the formal Tethering of Sovereign Isara Poeima and her selected Supplicant, Maxim.”His eyes swept gently across the room.“This is not merely a ceremonial appointment.It is a rite woven into the foundation of our history.As the forefather Elion Nareth once said, ‘To tether is not to bind, but to open—one to another, flesh to breath, thought to impulse, will to wonder.’”
