Page 84 of The Sovereign: Part One
Mina’s smile was gentle.“Really.”
Maxim rested his hand over mine, turning to me with a hint of perplexity in his expression.“Miša?As in…?”
I bit back a laugh.“Yes, and she hates it,” I said through my teeth, leaning toward Maxim.
Mina had given Avaryn the name shortly after she’d arrived from The Cradle, a tender echo of the heritage still visible in her own design.Her sculpted cheekbones, sharply defined nose, and cool-toned features reflected the aesthetic preferences preserved from a distant, frost-lined region of the old world.There was an air of regality to her, a beauty made striking not by embellishment, but by balance—angles softened by elegance, presence deepened by restraint.
Papa, taken with the name, had never stopped using it.Avaryn once answered to it instinctively, but at some point, she decided thatlittle bearwasn’t so cute after all.Avaryn’s years of protest had done little to dissuade our papa, but should he ever stop using it, I had a feeling she’d miss it more than she’d admit.
“Surely they can figure something out,” Avaryn said.“And honestly, Papa, you could absolutely help them.You were the Chief Liaison of Technological Affairs.Problem-solving was basically your whole job.”
“You assume too quickly they’d welcome that change, Avaryn,” Papa cautioned, warmth still threading through his tone.
Avaryn huffed but didn’t argue.He’d used her actual name, after all.
Maxim, instinctively mindful of diplomacy, spoke up.“I may have a solution that satisfies everyone.Since The Vale holds significant interest for Isara, we’ll make a day of it, however many times it takes.We’ll explore something new for an hour each trip, and I’ll see to her safety while ensuring we return on time.Given that we have thirty days after our Oathbond before she returns to work, I want to give her every moment she desires there.”
Papa was unconvinced.“Maxim, no matter how capable you are, you can’t guarantee her safety.”
“But you go all the time, you—” I began.
“Isara,” Papa interjected.“I remain within the confines of The Vale.Repetition invites probability.The more frequently you venture out, the greater the statistical likelihood you’ll encounter something… problematic.The only other option would be for Maxim to leave you there alone overnight, to then attempt to return to Hyperion Proper or fend for himself in the wilderness.Not all of our Hiven survive those trips.I can’t imagine that would be worth the risk to you.”
My shoulders sagged.“So, what you’re saying is that Maxim and I will never be able to go.”
Maxim turned to me, his expression thoughtful.“We could camp at the top of Smith Rock.We’d have the high ground.Leave at first light, cut the climb down by half with you strapped to my back, and be back before my QKF Core depletes.”
Papa leaned forward, impatience creeping into his expression.Few had ever defied him.Maxim, however unintentionally, was doing so now in his attempt to spare me from disappointment.
“I understand your desire to make her happy, Maxim, truly,” Papa began.“I feel the same for Noryn.Perhaps when you’re a papa, you’ll understand.But I’m afraid not even a Reg could guarantee safety beyond the wall after sunset.Sovereigns have tested every conceivable method to survive overnight conditions, and not once in my lifetime has it ended in anything but failure.I wish you could somehow see it together, I do.But any attempt would be a mistake with no second chances, no matter how capable you may be.”
He turned to me, his gaze heavy with warning.“Before you were born, a Vanguard boy, Croix Ashroth planned a five-day expedition, beyond The Vale.His parents persuaded The Citadel to send six Regs with him, Isara.Six.Croix spent the first night in The Vale.Only four Regs left with him in the morning, heading north.All four Regs went offline sometime during the second night.Croix never made it home.I can’t stress enough how risky this plan is.”
Maxim rested a hand on my knee, undeterred.“I’ll find a way.If it means Roan remains with you as an added safeguard while I’m away, and I return daily—even if only for an hour—then so be it.”He turned to my papa, unshaken.“She’ll be safely within The Vale well before sunset.You have my word.”
Papa’s jaw ticked, a flicker of unease crossing his face.He wasn’t fully aware of it yet, but something about Maxim’s reasoning—his willingness to problem-solve in ways no Supplicant should—had unsettled him.
“You always try to find a way for me, don’t you?”I asked, half touched, half covering for him.We would need a code word, something subtle, a way for me to signal when he was betraying himself before someone else caught on.
“This is the stuff of nightmares,” Avaryn groaned.“Can we talk about your Oathbond instead?Isara, do you have a dress yet?”
I adjusted in my seat.“Er, not yet.We’re scheduled with the coordinator for the Monday after next.”
Mina chimed in.“The Vesture is very rigid in its scheduling, Avaryn.Now that he’s met Isara’s friends and family, they’ll engage in active and leisure outings, ending the week with their first compatibility evaluation.Week Three is for public events and Oathbond Coordination.Week Four is more of the same, ending with a private reflection period and then final approval.”
“But,” Avaryn said, momentarily distracted as she thought, “Isara and Maxim already did an active outing… they went rock climbing.”She looked to me, confused.“Isn’t that what you said?”
I hesitated for a moment before settling on a half-truth.“No?”
Mina let out a small laugh.“Avaryn, you just invented that, darling.”
“No,” Avaryn insisted.“Maxim said they could cut the climb down from Smith Rock by half if she was strapped to his back.So, they’ve already gone, since he knows exactly how long the descent took them.”
All eyes drifted to Maxim and me.
Maxim remained composed, offering Avaryn a patient smile.“You’re absolutely right.I did mention that, but only as a hypothetical.A way to reassure Isara that, if her heart is set on exploring The Vale, I would ensure it was carried out safely and efficiently.”He turned to Mina and Papa.“But of course, we’ve adhered to the Vesture’s itinerary.My programming dictates that every outing and engagement occurs exactly as scheduled.”
For a Supplicant to lie was an outright transgression of The Eight—our most immutable laws.Whoever engineered Maxim’s deviations had managed to override that constraint, meaning they weren’t merely brilliant in tampering with code—it was genius, bending the very limits of possibility.
