Page 71 of The Sovereign: Part One
Lourdes Vasthane was breathtaking in white.The fabric of her dress billowed in effortless layers, a cloud resting upon her form, its movement ethereal against her sleek ponytail.Red lips curved as she met my gaze, dark lashes fanned above dewy skin.Beside her, Leopold’s suit was sharply understated—midnight black, immaculately tailored, but adorned with a sumptuous silk tie, thick and stately, its lavish knot cinched like an emblem of wealth and status at his throat, all in complement to his wife’s celestial presence.
And then… there was Roan.
The deep bronze of his skin glowed even under the low lighting, his suit, a textured navy with ink-black lapels, carried an edge of distinction, the fitted cut emphasizing the breadth of his shoulders, the lean definition beneath.His blue-gray eyes caught mine as he stood behind his chair, tension coiled beneath his poised exterior.
Lourdes and Leopold inclined their heads in welcome, but it was Roan who spoke first.“You’re sure she’s coming?”His voice was even, but his fingers tapped once against the curve of his chair’s backrest before he caught himself and forced them still.
“Maxim, allow me to formally introduce Roan Vasthane, his sister Lourdes, and her husband, Leopold.They are dear friends of mine and esteemed members of Hyperion’s Vanguard.”
Roan nodded, and Leopold, closer to Maxim, extended his hand.“Please, call me Leo.”The warmth that encompassed Leopold’s sophisticated cadence was unmatched, one that made strangers feel like old friends.“It’s an honor to finally meet you, Maxim.Your Isara is dear to our family, and we’ve anticipated this introduction for quite some time.Consider this evening not just a welcome, but the foundation of what’s to come.”
“The pleasure is mine,” Maxim said, firmly shaking Leopold’s hand before taking Lourdes’s with a touch that appeared noticeably more delicate.
I didn’t know how many other Supplicants had been at the Crèche with him but watching Maxim interact with one of his counterparts gave me a peculiar thrill.
He pulled out my chair, waiting until I was settled before guiding it back in and taking his seat beside me.Leopold mirrored the gesture for Lourdes before sitting next to Maxim.With the seating evenly spaced around the table, Roan and Lourdes ended up side by side, leaving the chair between Roan and me empty.He eyed it with unmistakable dejection.
“She’ll be here,” I assured him.
He exhaled, staring past me for a moment before nodding to himself.Lourdes arched a brow, but if she had commentary on his impatience, she kept it to herself.
I leaned in slightly, lowering my voice just enough to maintain decorum.“Roan, with all due respect, what in Chiron’s name are you doing?”
His lips parted, but no immediate answer came.I watched the muscles in his jaw shift, a war between impulse and reason playing out beneath the surface.
Finally exhaling, he admitted, “I don’t know.I just know I haven’t been able to stop thinking about her.”
Lourdes’s expression smoothed, though she remained silent.Leopold, ever composed, merely observed.Maxim said nothing, but I felt the shift in his attention—subtle, discerning.
I folded my hands in my lap, tilting my head slightly to the side.“You understand that she starts her Veritas in July, right?”
A humorless chuckle escaped him.“So she’s told me.”He tilted his glass, watching the liquid swirl.“I don’t know what I expect.Maybe nothing.Maybe just to see if—” He cut himself off, jaw tightening briefly before he finished, “If I imagined it.”
I didn’t need to ask what he meant.Bellam had dismissed him more than once and without hesitation, making it clear that his charm and persistence had no power over her.Yet here he was, still stuck on the initial rejection.It wasn’t just the snub, it was the fact that, for once, the choice had been taken out of his hands.Or maybe it was something else entirely—maybe it was love.
Across from me, Lourdes finally spoke, her voice smooth, but not unkind.“And if she falls madly in love with you?What happens then?You’re aVasthane.You have responsibilities, a life that isn’t so easily abandoned.Have you even considered what that would mean for her?For you?”
He huffed a laugh but didn’t argue.Instead, he straightened, glancing toward the entrance.And for the first time that evening, he stilled.
Bellam moved through the dining room with elegance and poise, guided by Arlo.The fluid organza of her baby blue dress skimmed her frame, its delicate fabric cascading to mid-calf in weightless waves.The muted gleam of her silver ankle-strap shoes mirrored the delicate shimmer of the chain brushing against her collarbone.With each step, her earrings swayed, catching the light in fleeting glints that danced along her jawline.Her tightly coiled hair had been smoothed and parted at the center, drawn into a sleek, low bun that accentuated the delicate angles of her face.Heads turned as she glided past, her presence exuding the insouciance of Vanguard who had already graced hundreds of elite gatherings in her lifetime.
Leopold and Maxim rose as she approached.
“My apologies,” Bellam said.“My meeting ran late.”
“Nonsense,” Leopold reassured her, leaning in to greet her with a quick kiss on the cheek.“We’re just glad you’re here.”
Nonsense is right,I thought.Bellam had been at home, slowly getting ready, trying to decide if she was going to show up.No meetings at Dominion ran this late.
Roan hesitated at first, his usual confidence slipping for a moment as he shifted uncomfortably in his seat.Then, as if regaining control, he forced himself to stand, but a subtle tension lingered in the way his fingers flexed and unclenched at his sides.He stood behind Bellam’s chair, watching intently as she leaned in to greet me with a kiss on the cheek before turning to Lourdes, offering the same.His gaze trailed Bellam’s movements, seeming confused, as if he were trying to decipher a word that was on the tip of his tongue.
Bellam slowed as she reached Maxim.She stood before him, her gaze lifting, bright with genuine excitement.There was no mistaking her enthusiasm to finally meet him, her soft blue eyes shining with something between curiosity and quiet awe.
“Bellam,” Maxim said, taking her hand lightly.He leaned in just enough for their cheeks to near before drawing back.“At last, we meet.I’ve been looking forward to this.”
Bellam’s eyes danced from mine to Maxim, then back again.“Isara, I’ve never seen you so happy and content.He truly is perfect for you.”
Maxim looked down at me, as if seeing me through Bellam’s eyes.Whatever he saw made a slow, satisfied grin spread across his face.
