The Space Empress He Craved

Chapter 46

POV: Lyra

It was a short shuttle ride to the financial division. When the three of us entered the complex, the entry personnel—all three of them—were clearly in shock. They weren't expecting anyone beyond the division personnel to enter the complex that day, let alone the Emperor and his cousin Christian.

When they pulled themselves together, they bowed and uttered, "Your Eminence. Your Grace." The Emperor and Christian bowed in return, sending over a second wave of shock among them. Their heads were partially lifted with their mouths gaped at the scene while their knees were still bent, even after the cousins stood.

Orion smiled, his pathways warming to soft purple. "Please, stand when we stand, my people, because we stand through every prosperity and hardship together, as our Empress has taught me." With his arm around my waist, neural sparks flowing between us, he looked at me with overflowing love and affection.

I smiled at the entry personnel and bowed before standing again. "It's a pleasure to make your acquaintance." Their mouths were still gaped, their pathways flickering with confusion, until I said encouragingly, "It's alright. It's not a trick. You can stand when we do."

Seeming to have finally snapped out of it, the three stood but their mouths were taking time to close. One of them, with the identification tag labeled as 'Edward,' stammered, "W-Well, uh... to what do we owe the pleasure, Your Eminences and Your Grace?"

Orion spoke, "I need a detailed audit on all financial transactions of every minister for the past 18 cycles. Who should I see for this matter?"

Edward's eyebrows shot up, his Kaelari skin shifting to surprised yellow, but he composed himself before saying, "That would be Ellia Morgan, my Emperor. I can make a transmission to tell her about your request and send all of you to her thereafter?"

"Yes. Please." Orion nodded with a smile.

After a short transmission, Edward came out from behind his station and with a low hand gesture, he smiled and said, "Right this way, Your Eminences, Your Grace."

We took the gravity lift to the seventh level. When the doors opened, Edward led us to a woman dressed in a white bio-suit who had just come out of her personal office. Around us, everyone at their work stations dropped whatever they were doing and stood. When Ellia Morgan stood before the three of us, the whole division bowed and said in unison, "Your Eminence. Your Grace."

Edward, on Ellia's side, muttered, "And the Empress."

Ellia looked up in shock with her knees still bent, her Lyrokan pathways flashing white with surprise, and lowered her head once more. "My Empress."

Gasps filled the division. They'd heard rumors circulating about the Emperor finding his match at the Lyrokan-Kaelari collaboration, but they didn't know how much was true. Ellia herself knew it to be true but didn't expect to meet the Empress so soon. She probably thought I was a soon-to-be-sworn-in minister or deputy minister of a new government branch.

The three of us bowed in return, and Orion asked everyone to stand, just like he'd explained to the entry personnel before. Like them, they were still shocked. I offered a small smile in Ellia's way, my skin shifting to calming silver. "Ellia, it's alright. Please stand." I reached for her shoulder from the side and lifted her to prompt her to stand, neural sparks passing briefly at the contact.

She blinked a few times to get herself out of the daze and stood upright, pathways returning to normal blue. "Of course. Of course. Umm... your request. Right this way, Your Eminences, Your Grace."

"Thank you, Edward," I said in his way, and he offered a slight bow and a smile before leaving.

When we entered Ellia's office, we heard the sound of data compilation in the corner—multiple holo-screens processing information. Ellia said, "I hope you could give it a while, Your Eminence. I found the archives when I received the transmission and I'm compiling them now. Seeing that it's every minister and for eighteen cycles, this may take some time."

"It's alright. We can wait," Orion said.

She gestured to the two seats in front of her and at the office lounger at the back. "Please have a seat, Your Eminences, Your Grace."

The cousins said in unison, "Thank you." Christian fell onto the lounger and sighed, his pathways dimming as he dove into his thoughts.

I was drawn to the floor-to-ceiling viewport. I stood there in silence as I took in the view of the city from Ellia's office—sprawling metal structures reaching toward the sky, transport lanes weaving between buildings, the distant shimmer of the atmospheric shield. Orion placed his hands on my shoulders, sending pleasant sparks through my system, as he muttered, "A penny for your thoughts?"

I offered a small smile. "Oh, it's nothing. I've just never had a view of the city from anywhere beyond the spaceport and the guest quarters, so this is... new."

Orion smiled at my innocent response and kissed my temple, his pathways glowing with affection.

At that moment, Ellia's door opened without a knock and in walked a man with two younglings, a girl and a boy. Everyone turned, and my smile turned into a surprised grin.

My cheerful voice filled the space in Ellia's office as I exclaimed, "Ben! What are you doing here?"

Christian initiated a mind-touch with Orion. I could see their eyes glaze slightly as they communicated telepathically.

The guest quarters guard, Benjamin, was surprised to see the three of us and glanced at his wife before he bowed and greeted, "Your Eminences, Your Grace. I didn't realize... I apologize for interrupting." He was about to usher his younglings out of the door.

I continued to smile. "Ben, you don't have to reschedule your appointment. We're just waiting for the data compilation. You can have Ellia."

"Oh, uh..." He was looking at Ellia hesitantly, so I looked at Ellia and said, "Really, Ellia. We don't mind waiting for you to complete your discussion with him. The compilation would no doubt take longer than that."

"Your Eminence," Ellia began awkwardly, her pathways shifting to embarrassed pink, "This is actually my mate and husband."

My eyes widened in surprise, all six facets catching the light. "Oh! So, you're Ellie?! Oh, my stars. It's such a pleasure to finally meet you. Benjamin has told me a lot about you. I didn't expect to meet you so soon!"

Small galaxy, I thought, feeling my skin shift to delighted gold. The guard who's been kind to me all this time is mated to the one person who might help us uncover this corruption.