Page 54 of The Sovereign: Part One
He exhaled, shaking his head.“You asked for it, Poeima.”
Before I could react, he tossed an entire sprig of thyme toward me.I flailed, failing spectacularly.The tiny herbs bounced off my forearm and landed in a bunch on the floor, some I had to pick out of my hair.
“Unbelievable,” I muttered.“My own galley.It’s like losing a home game.”
Maxim began to speak, but thunder crashed outside, rattling the walls.I instinctively clutched at him, startled by the sudden boom.
Maxim wrapped his arms around me and held me tight.“I’ve got you,” he whispered.
The way my body reacted to his comforting, low tone should’ve been studied.I exhaled against his chest, letting a sudden drowsiness overtake me.It was as if he’d injected my veins with warmth itself—something quiet and heavy, unraveling every last thread of tension.My breathing slowed to match his, the consistent rise and fall of his chest anchoring me, pulling me under.If he held me like this long enough, I wasn’t sure I’d ever find the will to move again.
“Is this the calming frequency I’ve heard about?I could fall asleep right now.”
“No,” he replied, amused.“Maybe this is just what safe feels like.”
Just as I closed my eyes, he started to sway.
My brows pulled together.“Are you—”
“Calyx,” Maxim said, ignoring me, “play something slow.”
A moment later, the rich, honeyed tones of a cello intertwined with the mellow strum of an acoustic guitar, joined by a woman’s velvety voice crooning something wistful.The gentle lament of strings wrapped around us like a lullaby, and he guided me into motion, his movements unhurried, as if there were no curfew, no rules, no Crèche to return to.
I sighed, pressing my cheek to his chest, allowing myself to fully melt into the moment.Maxim’s hand slid up my back, coming to rest at the nape of my neck.His fingers gently pressed into my skin as he nestled his cheek against my temple, his breath warm against my skin.A moment later, he pressed a kiss to my forehead, then his lips grazed my cheek, and trailed down my neck, just as he had in the somna.
I pulled him closer, exhaling against his collarbone.
Another crash of thunder rolled through the house, but I barely noticed.
Maxim eventually squeezed me to him and then pulled back.“Your lunch is about to burn.”
I groaned.“Right.Food.Eating.Basic human function.”
He chuckled, retreating to the stove.I reached for the dishes, and the rest of the meal unfolded in the same easy system we’d found before.
When we finally sat at the dining table, Maxim directed Calyx to pour us each a glass of wine.
I took a sip and sighed, sitting back into my chair.“This is absurdly good.”
Maxim smirked.“I’ll acceptabsurdas a compliment.”
I took another bite, considering the rain as I chewed.“The precipitation will have moved out by tonight.It’s supposed to be beautiful tomorrow.We should do something outside.You know, be one with nature.”
He raised a brow.“An outing?”
I shrugged one shoulder.“We’ve gotten ahead of schedule on domestic previews, so I don’t see why not.”
Intrigue and excitement surfaced in his expression.“We could be flagged for atypical progression.”
“Let them.It’s not an infraction.I think it’s silly, anyway.You’d think it’s a good thing that we enjoy spending time together so much we want to take it to the next step.”
He cleared his throat.“I believe the guideline is more for male Sovereign than for women.”
Maxim wasn’t wrong.from nearly the conception of Hyperion Proper, Sovereign men had different rules than women.The structure of the courting process wasn’t just about fostering emotional bonds, it was about managing impulse control.Long-standing data had shown that when left unchecked, male Sovereign were far more likely to rush the physical aspects of a courtship, often at the expense of the emotional foundation Hyperion prized.
By keeping a structured timeline, the system ensured that each phase progressed with deliberation and restraint.The data was undeniable: major intimacy infractions had declined by over sixty percent once the stricter guidelines were put in place.And at its most extreme, the regulations weren’t just about preventing impatience but curbing the kind of impulsivity that, in rare cases, led to actual crimes.
Of course, it wasn’t framed that way publicly.The official stance was that the structured schedule enhanced compatibility, giving couples time to form deeper connections before introducing physicality.But everyone understood the real reason, whether they spoke about it or not.
