Page 85 of The Sovereign: Part One
I watched Maxim for a beat too long.Not only had he managed to deceive my family, his tone was so calm, so assured, even I almost believed him.
Chapter Nineteen
Maxim guided the transport back to our Sablestone, one hand on the nav ring, the other cupped over mine.Music floated around us, filling the silence while my thoughts churned from the day with my family.Not that the visit had at all been unpleasant.We’d lingered through brunch and lunch, filling the hours with conversation before finally making our way home.I smoothed my fingertips over my sleeve, absently following the seam as I tried to focus on anything but the worry that my papa had noticed the subtle ways Maxim had deviated from typical Supplicant behavior.
Beyond the window, Hyperion Proper unfolded—gleaming roads woven into the city’s architecture edged with immaculately sculpted greenery.In the distance, the towering buildings of transpane and carbon-silicate composite stretched skyward, their surfaces reflecting the ambient lighting that pulsed with the city.Closer to the outer boundary, the structures were more reserved, sleek but modest, designed for functionality over grandeur, with verdant terraces and vertical gardens softening the urban sprawl.
The districts were divided into self-sustaining communities, each harmoniously integrating business, housing, and recreation.Structured not unlike the fifteen-minute cities of the old world, Hyperion-designed districts maintained a smooth, unhurried tempo of daily life.As we entered each area, Maxim slowed the transport, mindful of the pedestrians moving along the pristine walkways.Their attire crisp, their expressions untroubled, Sovereign strolled beside their Supplicant spouses, families wove through the quiet avenues, and Hiven glided between them, handling errands with polished efficiency.“Notice the family with twins,” Maxim said, nodding to the corner just ahead.
The edges of my mouth turned up, watching as they dipped into the brightly colored panel of a gelato shoppe.“I saw them.My boss, Stellan, has twin girls, Bisska and Bibi.The pros and cons are fascinating.”
“Fascinating,” he repeated, amused.
I squeezed his hand.“What?”
Maxim chuckled, shaking his head.“Most Sovereign see twins and think about how cute they are.You immediately start weighing the logistics.It’s just… soyou.”
“I’ll take that as a compliment,” I said, turning my attention back to the walkway.
“You should.”He lifted my hand to his lips.
“You seem like you enjoyed yourself today,” I said, watching him kiss my hand with a grin.
“I did.I particularly enjoyed talking with Velkyn.He’s a wise man.Protective.There is strength in the way he carries himself.He reminds me of you.”
I studied the way the lights from the console reflected in his olive-green eyes, a warmth coursing through me.I wasn’t sure if it was his lips on my skin or what he’d said.“You think I’m like my papa?”
“In some ways.”His mouth quirked at the corner, the ghost of a smile.“But not in others.”
“Could you be more ambiguous with your answers, please?I nearly grasped your meaning.”
He ignored my jab.“Your mina is nurturing, thoughtful.A bit of an overthinker, but it’s rooted in love.She observes everything, weighs every possibility.It’s an admirable trait, one I’m sure all minas possess, though for a Sovereign, I imagine it would be overwhelming.”
I hummed in agreement, letting my head fall back against the seat.“I often wonder if I’ll be the same… always thinking about every possible scenario our children could experience a thousand times over.”
“You won’t have to.I’ll do it for you… albeit with less… outward deliberation.”
A smile pulled at my lips despite the fatigue settling into my bones.“That’s a nice way of putting it.”
He paused before adding, “Your sister is sweet, too.Her energy is contagious.”
“Oh, Avaryn,” I trailed off.
“She’s different from you.”
The observation held no judgment, only curiosity, and I let the statement linger before answering.“She is.”
Maxim glanced at me, waiting for me to elaborate.
“When I was young, I didn’t know my mina was a Supplicant.They didn’t tell me until after Avaryn arrived from The Cradle.”
His attention sharpened, though he kept his focus on the road.“Oh?Did they explain why?”
“No.”I shook my head.“Before that, I just knew that she was different from my papa, but I never had the words to explain why, and that created a tendency to question everything.”
He considered that.“But they told Avaryn, so she doesn’t.”
“She’s always known.She grew up with the truth as something natural, something unchallenged.”I let out a slow breath, turning my gaze to the city lights streaking past.“For her, it was just the way things were.For me, it was something to make sense of.”
