The Space Empress He Craved

Chapter 38

POV: Lyra

Orion's smile increased in radiance as he continued speaking. "In our history, no Empress was known to have fought alongside her people. It's because of that that Lyra was ready to sever our psychic bond to continue to fight for those who couldn't."

Gasps of shock and despair erupted through the hall—not even trying to be subtle, mostly from the Kaelari community. Juan, Tate, and Toby shifted uneasily beside me. Great, now everyone knows I almost walked away from this.

Orion smiled as he continued. "And to be honest, she would have been doing the right thing."

This earned no laughter or support. Only silence and confusion filled the massive hall.

"I don't see why she must give up protecting our people when the whole point of being an Empress is to protect the people. Her name will go down in history for many great things. But arguably, the most significant thing that Lyra will be known for is being the first Empress to grace the battlefields with her presence, and fight alongside our people. I would be an idiot of an Emperor if I forbade her from continuing what she does. Kaelari, you will not lose her. Lyrokans, you have no idea how fortunate we are to have her."

My eyes were already glistening, the moisture betraying my emotions. Don't cry. Not here. Not in front of everyone. His words touched something deep in my chest—acceptance of who I truly was, not who I should pretend to be.

He lifted my hand and pressed his lips to it, neural sparks cascading through my arm. "The universe could not have blessed our Empire with a more qualified Empress. And I can only hope to be an Emperor worthy enough to rule alongside you, my dear."

Still holding my hand, he dropped to one knee. His head tilted down in a bow toward me. His voice thundered through the hall: "My Empress."

What the void is happening?

My posture straightened in shock. Behind Orion, Christian knelt and bowed in the same manner, his voice equally loud: "My Empress."

One by one, everyone in the hall—including the members of the alliance—knelt, bowed, and uttered 'My Empress' just as their Emperor and Duke were doing. The sight was surreal. Hundreds of beings, Lyrokans and Kaelari alike, all kneeling to me. The mining colony girl. The one with the weird rainbow skin.

For a moment, I couldn't find my voice. My throat had closed up completely.

When I finally found it, I took a deep breath. "Rise. All of you."

Even I was surprised by the power that exuded from my vocal cords. The sound carried through the hall with an authority I didn't know I possessed. Was that really me?

Orion and Christian were the first to stand, their grins impossibly wide. I turned to face everyone, waiting until the last person stood. Then my voice rang through the hall in a way I'd never heard before—stronger, clearer, commanding.

"Long ago, I made a promise to myself that as long as I live, I will do everything in my power to protect the innocent and defend the vulnerable. Tonight, I am making that same promise to everyone in this Empire. It is an honor to have fought alongside so many brave and noble specialists and commanders over the years, all of whom I'm proud to call my brothers and sisters. And it is with esteemed pleasure that I continue to serve to the best of my abilities."

I bent my knees slightly, tilting my head to bow back to the crowd before regaining my standing position. "You can be assured that I will not stop until every last threat has been neutralized. I will not give up even when I'm weakened. I will fight alongside you, and together, we will win."

The dining hall exploded with deafening applause and cheers. The sound was overwhelming—approval, acceptance, even admiration from beings who'd never looked twice at me before. Some Lyrokans were actually looking at me with respect rather than disdain.

Orion's pathways were glowing so bright with pride they practically lit up the space around us. Between the cheers, I brought myself to his ear. "You and your cousin have a strange definition for the word 'fun', dearest."

I felt his lips curl into a smirk by my ear. "Ah, yes. Thank you for reminding me, my love. Here comes the fun part."

He pulled back only to lift my chin before pressing his lips onto mine.

He's kissing me. In front of everyone. The Emperor is publicly claiming me.

Caught completely off guard, it took me a moment to regain my senses. When I did, I pulled away and pecked him quickly on the lips before shaking my head slightly in disapproval, a shy smile betraying my attempted sternness.

Orion noted my flushed skin—probably cycling through embarrassed purples and pinks—and pressed his lips to my forehead sweetly before we turned back to the even more enthusiastic crowd. Christian was patting his cousin's shoulder in congratulation.

Through their private mind-touch, I caught fragments: 'That's huge progress since last night, cuz. Look at this room. There's no way she can't rule as our Empress.'

Orion's response: 'I have no doubt she'll do better than any of the Empresses from the past.'

Juan pulled me into a hug, his mind-touch warm and familiar. 'We're so happy for you, Lyra. Hale and I. You've deserved this for years now. It's about time you got it.'

'The match or the praise?'

Juan chuckled through the link. 'Both, Lyra. Both.'

'Thank you, Juan. For everything.'

We pulled apart, and he looked at me—the Specialist he'd been calling sister for as long as we both could remember. "Lyra, it's more appropriate for me to thank you. For everything you've done for us."

Tate's voice came from the side. "Why are you guys getting so sentimental? The Emperor just said we're not going to lose her!" He held me for only a short moment, patting my back. "Glad that's cleared up eh, Lyra?"

"You have no idea. Thanks, Tate. For making me talk." I smirked, remembering how he'd forced me to face this whole situation.

Dinner continued after that. I introduced Orion and Christian to more station members who had concerns about Rogue attacks and resource allocation. Many Kaelari approached to express their concern before thanking me for my contribution and sacrifices. The attention was flustering—I kept emphasizing that I couldn't have done it without the specialists and commanders who fought with me.

Every time someone thanked me, I could see Orion's pathways pulse brighter with pride. Even some Lyrokans approached to introduce themselves. They were stiff and formal, clearly not used to speaking to a Kaelari as an equal. I didn't push for natural conversation. These things would take time. It was astonishing enough that they were trying.

After Orion walked me to my quarters, he pulled me into a deep, passionate kiss before letting me go. Neural sparks danced between us even after we separated. He looked at me dreamily, that smile plastered on his face until I closed the door behind me. Through our bond, I could feel his Lyrokan consciousness settling peacefully—not the usual whimpering protest at separation.

That night, neither of us had trouble falling asleep.

In a luxurious establishment at the far end of the city's entertainment district, Sasha Cummings was on her eighth glass of Andromedan spirits in her private lounge but she was nowhere near calm or intoxicated. She emptied the glass, threw it at the wall where it shattered, the broken pieces joining previously destroyed glassware.

The minister's daughter scorned her guest seated across from her, who maintained a serious expression despite the chaos.

This isn't over, I could practically hear her thinking from across the city. The psychic bond with Orion meant I sometimes picked up on strong emotions directed at me, and Sasha's rage was like a beacon in the night.

Not that it mattered. For the first time in my life, I had something—someone—who wouldn't abandon me. An Emperor who wanted me to keep fighting. Who saw my scars as strength, not shame.

Maybe match number six really is different.