Chapter 6

Zerien

A torrent of emotions rampaged inside me. Acid ran through my veins, eating away at my broken heart while rage and a sense of betrayal surged within me in endless waves threatening to erupt at any moment. I had been such a fool. For all my fury, I couldn't decide if I was angrier at myself or at Krygor.

Drade drove our hovercar in silence as we made our way to the docking bay. He stole discreet glances at me, compassion laced with anger on my behalf shining through despite his best efforts to keep a neutral expression. Although he never worded it aloud, like many Sarenians, he believed making Siona my Queen to be a mistake. He would have served her loyally and hoped for the best. But the past few days only confirmed what everyone had known while I wrapped myself in a cloak of denial.

As I boarded the vessel, I paused to address my bodyguard, not wanting to expose myself to the curiosity and questions of the crew.

"As soon as Naax returns from the hotel with my belongings and that the crew is back on board, I want us to immediately depart for Sarenia. Unless there's an emergency, I'm not to be disturbed."

"Yes, Zerien," Drade replied with a nod.

Without another word, I stomped back to my quarters, ignoring the discreet glances from the crew who conveniently happened to be wandering nearby. The moment the door closed behind me, I made a beeline for my desk and turned on the giant screen. Despite the distance from Braxia, we were in close enough range for a direct communication without delay.

Within seconds from hailing Krygor, his face filled the screen. As the leader of one of the purest Braxian bloodlines, the male who should have been my father-in-law possessed among the most brutish features of his people. His thick, square jaw, prominent brow, and broad, flat nose reminiscent of those of a feline made him incredibly intimidating. The warm glimmer in his obsidian eyes, the same color as his shoulder-length, wavy hair, faded the moment he took in my expression.

"Zerien? Is everything okay?" he asked with a sliver of worry.

The way he blinked with confusion, and seeing his body tensed testified to the type of anger my demeanor was undoubtedly giving off.

"You get your wish after all of keeping your daughter, Councilor," I said in the clipped tone.

Krygor's eyes widened. Shock and deep worry settled on his face. "What? What do you mean?"

"I've released her. You promised me a Queen but sent me back a fucking child. Was that your plan all along?" I hissed.

Although his dismayed and utterly baffled expression somewhat dampened some of the scents of betrayal I felt, I was too angry and too heartbroken for anything he might say to mollify me.

"What do you mean? Where is Siona?" he asked warily.

"She's still at the hotel, waiting for your men to come fetch her. Anton is aware."

By the way his shoulders relaxed slightly, my words had alleviated some of his fears, not that I gave a shit about his feelings right now. However, it further angered me. Did he think I would harm his daughter—or any female for that matter—in a fit of rage?

"Zerien, what happened?"

"Not much, beyond the fact that Siona expects to lead a duty-free, laid-back life, and wants to wait at least a year before considering giving me an heir," I spat angrily.

Krygor flinched. Despite doing a great job of quickly hiding his thoughts, I didn't miss the genuine shock and disbelief that fleeted over his brutish features.

"She wants me to wait another fucking year while we are on the eve of the Great War!" I ground through my teeth. "You failed me. I trusted your word when you promised to raise her to be a Queen, but you sent me a selfish and irresponsible little liar! She knew the expectations. She agreed to them. And now this?!"

Krygor winced again. "I'm sorry. I did not expect that she would react like this."

"I bet you didn't," I retorted, my voice dripping with sarcasm.

His face hardened, visibly offended that I would imply he deliberately misled.

"On my honor, Zerien, I've done all that I could to uphold my promise to you," Krygor said firmly. "I raised her to be a Warrior."

"I don't need a Warrior, I need a fucking Queen!" I shouted, slamming my fist on top of the desk.

"You have every reason to be angry and to feel betrayed," Krygor said in a conciliatory tone. "I don't understand what may have happened to cause my daughter to shy away from her duties. Siona has always been extremely responsible, devoted, and loyal. And above all, she loves you with all her heart."

I made a disdainful sound and waved a dismissive hand. "Clearly, she doesn't love me enough."

He opened and closed his mouth a couple of times. Whatever he had wished to say, he appeared to decide against it and heaved a sigh instead.

"What are you going to do?" he asked carefully.

"What do you think, Krygor?" I said angrily. "I'm going to return home and get an heir."

His face closed off. "Whatever the root cause of this rift, I have no doubt it can be mended. Do not act too quickly out of anger."

"I'm acting out of duty !" I exclaimed. "Do you know how much pushback I endured back home over the past six years? Do you know how much abuse I withstood at the hands of my detractors because of her race? The Sarenians do not want a Guldan Queen. The only reason they failed to force me to abdicate was because everyone could see that she is indeed my soulmate. They further gave her the benefit of the doubt because any who challenged me for the throne failed miserably to prove themselves the stronger alpha."

"I do not doubt it, Zerien. We have heard of the hardships this has put on your shoulders. In truth, I didn't think you would be able to remain steadfast in your resolve with so much pressure from all sides. And yet, you remained true to my daughter and proved that no sacrifice is too great to be with your soulmate. Don't give up on her now."

I gave him an incredulous look. "Don't give up on her now? What do you think will happen if I bring her home with me with that kind of attitude? Do you think they won't see how reluctant she is to perform her basic duties as a Queen? Do you think they will not resent her for it? On top of having to deal with the traitors who almost killed Keran, I have undermined my own reign out of love and loyalty for her. And then she thanks me by spitting in my face?"

Krygor raised his palms in an appeasing gesture. "You know she didn't mean it that way. She's simply young."

" That , she is," I replied contemptuously. "But fear not, Councilor. The alliance between our people still stands. There simply won't be one between our houses. My council will be in contact with you."

"Do not give up on her, Zerien. She truly loves you."

"Farewell, Councilor," I said in a frosty tone.

Defeated, Krygor nodded. Without another word, I terminated our communication.

The following five days were sheer agony as the journey back home dragged on indefinitely. As much as I ached to be back on Sarenia, I dreaded the welcome that awaited me once my people realized I had returned sooner and without my bride.

But it was Siona's absence that hurt me the most.

Every minute, every hour stretched on endlessly, filled with the memory of all that I had lost. I missed her scent, her melodious voice, the crystalline sound of her laughter, the way her eyes sparkled, and how their edges creased when she smiled, her gentle touch and tender hugs.

Above all, I missed that light in her eyes when she told me she loved me.

None of this made sense. I had waited for her for so long, this should have been the perfect beginning to our happiness, which I prayed would survive the Great War. How did it all go so wrong?

Despite my anger towards Krygor for failing me, I agreed with his statement that Siona loved me. That made it all the more painful that she would place dodging her responsibilities over the love we shared.

I had all but locked myself up in my quarters. But I couldn't continue hiding. In less than forty-eight hours, we would reach our homeworld. Although I had messaged my father to inform him of this unfortunate turn of events—as I couldn't allow him to find out through Krygor or any other third party—we hadn't directly discussed the matter.

My heart filled with love for my sire. Even though he was undoubtedly burning with curiosity to get a better understanding of the situation, he didn't pressure me to provide more details. He always respected my boundaries and knew I would open up when I was ready.

A part of me believed I delayed that conversation hoping Siona would reach out to me beforehand, recognize she made a mistake, and beg for us to get things back on track. Obviously, it had been wishful thinking on my part. Apparently, when it came to my soulmate, I had a tendency of wallowing in denial.

That she did not attempt to communicate with me even once since my departure hurt me all the more. As with every time that thought popped up in my mind, I swiftly cast it out. If I allowed myself to linger on it, the seed of doubt would take root, and I would start to believe that maybe she did not really love me after all.

Truth be told, the only reason I held on with unwavering faith that, somehow, things would work out was thanks to the powers passed down to us by the Korletheans back when they experimented on my people. I had seen Siona's soul, and she was perfectly Attuned to mine. She could never love any other male more than she would love me. And I could never more fully belong to any female, body, heart, and soul than I did with Siona. She was my world.

Shoving down the pain eating me from within, I forced myself to contact my father. To my dismay—although unsurprisingly—he messaged me back requesting I wait a few more minutes while he liberated himself from his current engagement.

It shamed me to no end to be acting so needy, and especially to know that the reason for my distress was fear that I would lose the courage to face my father in the time he took to get back to me. Nothing justified such worry. He had always been my rock and unbelievably supportive of me and any of my endeavors, even when they conflicted with his own views. But failure didn't exist in my language. Whatever challenges I faced, I always overcame them. This time, I didn't only feel blindsided, but it also struck me as the biggest failure I could have sustained.

If I couldn't get my own soulmate to stand by me for the greater good of our people, how could I lead them and form strong enough alliances for us to survive the greatest war in generations looming ahead?

The beep of an incoming communication startled me. I stopped my pacing around my room and settled in the plush couch of my seating area before accepting the call. My throat tightened upon seeing the beloved face of my sire on the vidscreen. I was his spitting image, with the same dusty blue skin—although his was a shade slightly darker than mine—the same silver blue eyes, and midnight blue hair. The affectionate look in his eyes moved me deeply.

"My son, how are you faring?"

I swallowed past the lump in my throat and gave him a strained smile. "As bad as one would expect I guess under the circumstances."

He gave me a sympathetic smile. "What happened?"

I gave him a summary of the confrontation between Siona and me. He listened carefully, only asking the occasional question here and there, his face attentive but devoid of any judgment. When I finished, he pursed his lips and slowly nodded pensively.

"As disappointed as I feel, I'm actually not surprised," he said matter-of-factly.

I recoiled and gaped at him. "You knew she would reject her role as a Queen?"

He hesitated. "I suspected she would struggle once she realized the extent of the burden that would be laid upon her shoulders. But I had not foreseen this separation before she even reached Sarenia."

"What made you think that?" I asked, baffled.

"Krygor is a Warrior, not a King. He raised his daughter as such," my father explained. "Instead of making her sit on Ravik's Council—then Keran's—he allowed her to go train the Guldan females who are a part of the rebellion. He may not have given you the Queen you expected, but he gave you a General."

I huffed. "I have no need for a General. I need a Queen!"

"You need Siona," my father countered forcefully. "She will be your Warrior Queen. Considering a Great War is approaching, that's exactly what you will need."

I sighed and slowly shook my head. "Even assuming you are correct, my coronation is in five weeks. I'll be home in a couple of days. What the fuck do I tell the people when I show up without her?"

He shrugged. "Merely tell them there's a delay. They don't need to know your business."

"Since when does an Emperor have any privacy?" I asked sarcastically. "Everyone, both here and off-world, is always all up in our business."

He smiled, his face softening in that paternal fashion I always loved. "That's true. But you still get to tell them to fuck off."

I wanted to return his smile but the thought of all that awaited me wiped it away.

"It doesn't change the fact that I need an heir. I have no way of knowing if and when Siona will be ready and willing to fulfill that duty. Time is not on my side, Father. I cannot delay any longer."

He nodded with a serious expression. "We will fix it, Son. The important thing is that we keep this information to as few people as possible. The less your enemies know, the better. If the word spreads that Siona is refusing to carry your child, they will seize on it to have you declared unfit to rule."

"I know," I said, my stomach twisting at the thought of what I needed to do. "I have released her from her pledge to me. And although I need an heir, Siona is my soulmate. I will not cheat on her," I added with a hint of defiance. "So my only option is artificial insemination."

My father smirked. "I figured as much and planned accordingly."

My brow shot up upon hearing those words. His smile broadened, taking on a smug edge.

"When you consented to let Siona go back to Braxia with Krygor, I—and pretty much everyone else—thought you would go back to your lascivious ways until the day you could be permanently reunited," my father said wistfully. "Your voracious sexual appetite was quite legendary. So I was stunned when you remained unwaveringly loyal to her."

"You think I was foolish for it?" I asked with a sliver of tension in my voice.

His expression softened. "No, my son. It made me admire you even more than I already did and still do. Even those who did not approve of her as your mate have been impressed by the way you've honored your word to her. Never underestimate the power of having earned an honorable reputation."

My throat tightened as another wave of love surged in my heart for my sire. He had never been stingy in his compliments to me. But I'd been certain that my failure at bringing back my mate would have made him reconsider the unwavering faith he always placed in me. Therefore, his continued support touched me more than words could ever express.

"Thank you, Father," I said warmly. "I was thinking of asking Kaelin. I'm sure she will volunteer and help me narrow down a couple more surrogates if needed."

"Like I said, I already planned for that eventuality. Kaelin has indeed volunteered, and there are four more surrogates already lined up," Father said proudly. "Frankly, even though you may not think it right now, this is the best possible outcome."

I recoiled, stunned by that statement. "The best possible outcome?" I echoed.

He nodded. "Siona is Guldan. Her species does not possess any form of psionic powers," My father explained. "With how their people zealously hide their females, we've never had a Sarenian-Guldan hybrid. You need a strong Sarenian heir to ensure our bloodline will continue to rule our planet."

Although such thoughts previously crossed my mind, I still bristled at that.

"Hybrids can also be powerful," I countered. "Gavin is proof. Even Mercy's children with Ravik are displaying impressive psionic powers."

"That's true," he conceded. "But that's a gamble I'd rather we don't take. You having a pureblood Sarenian heir will further help mollify your detractors."

As much as it displeased me that anyone could imply any child Siona and I could have would be unworthy of the throne, I couldn't quite argue with his logic.

"But I'm hoping for an even better alternative," he continued.

I tilted my head to the side, my curiosity piqued. "Oh?"

"As I mentioned earlier, you were extremely active before you met Siona. From the ages of eleven to fifteen, you had an impressive number of partners. For all you know, you may already have an heir."

My shoulders slouched, the blossoming hope of a possible alternative instantly fading. "Yes, there is that possibility. But if I do, it will likely be at least two to four years before they find me."

"Not if we help them along," my father said with a mischievous glimmer in his silver-blue eyes.

I frowned with a confused expression. "Help them along how?"

"It's been too long since we've held an imperial tour of the adoption centers and primary schools," he said with a grin. "In preparation for your coronation, you already have a number of tours planned. Kaelin is currently setting up those visits as part of your itinerary."

My heart leapt. "That's fucking brilliant! It also means we can wait until those tours are over to determine whether we'll even need to resort to insemination!"

"Exactly," he replied smugly. "Anyway, the females would need to be ovulating and to get some hormonal treatment to boost their fertility before we could even proceed with the insemination. But I have faith it will not be needed. Everything will work out for the best. Ruling is never easy, but you are not alone. You have earned the loyalty and love of powerful people. Whatever it takes, you will ascend the throne and take our people into a new era of peace and prosperity. Of this, I have no doubt."

"I love you, Father," I said, my voice thick with emotion.

"I love you, too, Zerien."