The Space Empress He Craved

Chapter 36

POV: Lyra

After a long while of enjoying each other's company in silence, I said, "I wonder if the others have had sufficient rest. We haven't consumed nutrients, so we should probably attend the evening gathering."

Orion responded immediately. "Lyra, we can always call station services. You should rest. After what you've endured today, I will personally terminate anyone who thinks of questioning your absence."

Always so dramatic with the threats.

"I'm functional, Orion, really. I can go. But I need to change my bio-suit first." I looked at him pointedly. "So do you if you're attending."

He smirked and kissed my cheek, his pathways pulsing with possessive purple. "As if I would leave you there with all my competitors trying to win your consciousness."

I narrowed my eyes, stating bluntly, "I am not interested in Sebastian Cummings."

He pulled me tighter against him. "Oh, I know. He's not the one I'm worried about, star-heart. There are so many others who want you the way I do. I feel like the cosmos is taunting me by giving me a match who comes with a whole army of admirers to fight through. Not that I should complain. At least it bothered to give me a match who's smart, noble, selfless..."

He's delusional. What admirers?

"You're overreacting, Orion. There isn't anyone else who looks at me or wants me that way. There never has been. And if there were, it would only be because they're interested in whoever the Emperor is interested in. It's not because they're interested in me specifically."

Orion sighed, his pathways dimming with frustration. "That's where you're wrong again, Lyra. Just by observing how they look at you and hearing them speak about you or to you... I just know they had intentions to be intimate with you even before we met. And those intentions are still very much active. Not just the unmatched Combat Specialists but also the Commanders, I might add."

What? That's ridiculous.

I stared at my knees, processing hard what I'd just heard before throwing my hands up in defeat. "No. I'm not getting anything. My neural processors are going blank. The only one I'm aware of showing me a shameless amount of affection when he looks at me is you. So, I have no idea who you're talking about."

Orion scoffed. "I'm quite relieved you didn't include Cummings in that list."

I rolled my eyes—all six facets. "He shows me a shameless amount of guilt and remorse. None of those feelings are even close to affection. And, my Emperor, do spend your processing power on something other than thinking someone else may want me. You're really wasting your energy in that department. It's completely non-existent."

Nobody wants the mining colony girl with weird rainbow skin. He's imagining things.

Orion chuckled. "It's funny how little you perceive when it comes to how beings are attracted to you. I'm not sure whether to feel frustrated or happy."

I kissed his chin. "Choose positive emotions, my dear."

He kissed my nose in return. "As you wish, my Empress."

I flinched slightly at being called his Empress but chose not to argue this time. Only this time. I'd put him through enough today with my hours of recovery sleep and almost severing our bond.

Pick your battles, Lyra.

With my constant pestering, Orion finally agreed to leave so he could return to his residence for a fresh bio-suit before the evening gathering. When he was three steps from my portal, he turned around, held my hands, pathways blazing with excitement. "I have a question."

I smirked. "Why do your questions today come right before you're supposed to do something? Let's hear it."

His eyes shone with hope, anticipation radiating through our link. "Can I start calling you 'Lyra'?"

That's his urgent question?

I looked at him in complete confusion. "That was your question? You're asking whether you can call me by my name? Haven't you been doing that already, Orion?"

He pouted—the Emperor actually pouted. "No, I've been calling you 'Lyra' like a stranger. I didn't have permission to call you like how so many others have been calling you. I've had you call me by my shortened name since we met. It's not fair."

I narrowed my eyes. "Your logic perplexes me, Your Eminence. You needed my permission to call me by my name but you started calling me your star-heart, your love, your sweetheart, without ever needing to ask permission for those."

He smiled with that mischievous expression. "I didn't want you to refuse."

I shook my head, smiling despite myself. "Like I said, Orion. Your logic perplexes me."

When I tried to break free to chase him out, he held on, asking with a grin, "So is that a 'yes'?"

I smirked at his insistence. "Yes. Now go. You've already disappeared from your subjects for the entire cycle. Don't be late for the evening gathering as well."

"Cosmos, this is one responsible Empress." He muttered, kissing my fingers before I pushed him out. "I can't wait to see you later, Lyra."

Lyra. From his lips, it sounds... different. Good different.

For once, his consciousness didn't whimper through our link as he left my quarters. He couldn't wait to see me again in less than an hour. Through our connection, I felt his pathways pulsing with pure joy as he traveled to his residence.

While he prepared, I sensed him contacting Juan through comm. Juan, who'd only reactivated fifteen minutes before the call, was requested by the Emperor to be ready at the gathering hall with the other alliance members. The Commander wasn't given details but gladly agreed. Then Orion contacted Christian through neural link about some plan—both their consciousnesses blazed with excitement.

What are they plotting?

After changing into a fresh bio-suit—a deep blue one that hopefully wouldn't show my color-shifting as obviously—I made my way to the gathering hall.

Through our link, I felt Orion arrive first. As soon as he entered, everyone bowed, but his consciousness searched frantically. Where was I? After motioning his subjects to rise, he continued scanning the room. Then someone approached from his peripheral vision and bowed.

His pathways went instantly black with rage. In his menacing tone, he asked, "What are you doing here?"

Oh void. Who is it now?

I quickened my pace toward the hall, my skin already shifting to worried orange. Whatever was happening, Orion's rage was bleeding through our link like plasma fire.