Sage offered a respectful nod, bypassing the deep bows Ilara had performed earlier. She respected royalty, sure, but she was here to work, not to grovel.

"Princess Valerie," Sage greeted, her tone professional.

Valerie's smile widened, warm and genuine as usual. "Dr. Stellan! Athea told us you'd arrived. Welcome to the capital."

Sage returned the smile, though her attention quickly shifted to the woman standing beside Valerie. She hadn't met her before, but the woman's presence was heavy, grounding the air around her.

"And this," Valerie said, gesturing lightly, "is my niece, Viora."

Viora simply inclined her head, a measured, controlled gesture that gave away absolutely nothing. "Dr. Stellan."

Her voice was cool. Not unfriendly, exactly, just… reserved. Like a door shut tight against the cold.

At first glance, Sage had assumed she was just another high-ranking Warlady assigned to Valerie's detail. But the name clicked instantly. Niece. Which meant she was Athea's daughter. In the loyal family, among the Queens daughters, only Athea had children, so it was easy for Sage to figure out who Viora's mother was.

Sage took the opportunity to study her, her analytical mind dissecting the details before she could stop herself. Viora possessed the same sharp, aristocratic bone structure as Athea. But where Athea's eyes were ice-blue and piercing, Viora's were a shade darker. Storm clouds over deep water.

Still, the resemblance was there.

Of course, Sage realized, a strange flutter taking root in her chest. This was Zaeryn's sister. His real sister.

She was standing face-to-face with someone who shared his blood, his lineage. Someone who likely didn't even know he existed… or if she did, knew him only as a dangerous secret. It was a surreal, almost vertigo-inducing thought.

"It's a great pleasure to meet you, Princess Viora," Sage said, keeping her voice steady, masking the sudden spike in her pulse.

Viora gave another nod, this one fractionally warmer. "Likewise."

Valerie moved then, breaking the heavy formality with her natural, breezy ease.

She walked over to the containment field, circling it slowly as she studied the massive Vorthak carcass with open fascination.

"So," Valerie mused, tapping the reinforced glass with one knuckle. "Viora is the one we have to thank for bringing this dead ugly thing here. Though it wasn't cheap. Lost half of her war ladies to get it."

Sage turned back to Viora, her eyebrows lifting. "Is that so?"

Viora shrugged. The motion was economical, devoid of drama. "The sacrifice was necessary. The mission required it."It was a cold statement, but Sage heard the weight behind it. The burden of command.

"Well, thank you, Princess Viora," Sage said sincerely. "Because of you, we'll finally get to study a Vorthak up close. Intact neural structures, energy conduits still viable, this is invaluable data. It could change everything."

"Please, just call her Viora," Valerie interjected, waving a hand dismissively as she turned back to them. "No need for the princess title when we're all equals here. It gets exhausting, doesn't it?"

Viora glanced at Valerie, then back to Sage. Her expression softened, just barely, a crack in the armor. "She's right. We are all equals here. You yourself, Sage as the heir to Stellan Innovations, are more of a princess yourself, so let's drop the formalities."

"Sure. Viora," Sage tested the name, offering a small, genuine smile.

Viora nodded, and this time there was a distinct hint of approval in her eyes. "Good."

"So," Valerie said, drifting back toward them, her tone shifting into something more playful. "I notice you're settling in solo. Did... he came with you?"

Sage blinked, momentarily thrown off. "He?"

"Your boyfriend," Valerie clarified, a playful, mischievous grin tugging at her lips. "Zaeryn. Did he make the trip to the Capital, or is he still back in Sector 7?"

The air in the room seemed to freeze.

Viora went very still. She knew who Valerie was talking about. Her expression didn't change, not a muscle twitched—but her focus sharpened instantly. It was subtle, something only someone looking for it would notice, but Sage felt the sudden weight of that storm-cloud stare boring into her.

She knows.

Sage didn't know how, or how much, but Viora definitely knew who Zaeryn was. The intensity of her reaction gave it away.

Sage kept her face neutral, masking the spike of adrenaline. She kept it logical, kept it simple. "No, he didn't come," she said effortlessly. "He has his studies at the Lyceum. I'm here alone."

Valerie let out a dramatic sigh, her shoulders slumping as if Sage had just cancelled a holiday. "Aww. That's a shame. I was hoping to see him again. He was... fun."

"He usually is," Sage replied carefully, keeping her eyes on Valerie but her awareness tuned to Viora.

"Well, tell him I said hi when you call him," Valerie said, oblivious to the tension radiating off her niece.

"It was nice to meet you, Sage. We'll leave you to your work now," Viora said abruptly.

She gave Sage a faint smile, polite, but tight around the edges, before turning on her heel.

Valerie glanced at Viora's retreating back, then shrugged at Sage. "See you around, Dr. Stellan.

— Elsewhere —

In the dim glow of the laboratory's emergency lights, Daphne straddled Zaeryn's lap on the edge of the chair, the hum of machinery fading into the background noise of their shared breaths. Her lab coat hung open, buttons undone down to her navel, exposing the pale curve of her chest to the cool air. Zaeryn gazed up at her, his eyes focused, his hands gripping her hips firmly to keep her anchored as she ground a slow, deliberate rhythm against him.

Daphne's breath caught in her throat as she arched her back, pressing her chest forward. "Here, I know you missed them." She said, shoving one titty into his mouth.

Zaeryn didn't hesitate. He leaned in, capturing a nipple in his mouth, sucking hard with a wet, insistent pull that sent a jolt of pure electricity straight to her core.

He looked up and saw Daphne's eyes closed, her face slack with a sensual heat that made her look even more irresistible and sent a sharp thrill through him. His tongue swirled around the hardened peak, teasing and flicking before he drew it deeper, nursing with a hunger that nearly buckled her knees.

"Oh, yes. This is the best feeling," Daphne breathed, her fingers threading through his hair to hold him close. The sensation was overwhelming, making her pussy clench around an emptiness that demanded to be filled."But not better than the feeling of you plunging that thick cock into me until I can't think straight," she finishes on a ragged whisper, voice cracking with raw need.

"Mmmhh—aaahh—"

Zaeryn's hands slid up her sides, thumbs brushing the undersides of her breasts to lift them for better access. The wet, suctioned sounds echoed in the quiet lab, mingling with Daphne's sharp gasps. She rode the friction against him, her clit pulsing with each grind, the wetness soaking through her panties. Pleasure coiled tight in her belly, a delicious tension that threatened to snap.

BEEP. BEEP. BEEP.

The priority alert cut through the room like a siren, shattering the moment. It wasn't the door. It was the main holo-console directly behind Daphne's head.

Daphne froze. Her eyes snapped open, the haze of lust clearing instantly as her analytical mind rebooted. She stared at the flashing red light, recognizing the frequency immediately.

"Hold on," she whispered, her voice tight. "That's Lysara."

"Oh, what does she want?" Zaeryn groaned, letting his head fall back against the chair. He was frustrated and rightfully so. The High Commander had impeccable timing for ruining a mood.

"I don't know," Daphne said, straightening her spine. She didn't move off his lap, but her demeanor shifted from lover to scientist in a heartbeat. "But that's an emergency alert, I have to answer."

She reached back, stretching her arm to hit the acceptance key on the console.

"Chief Scientist Virellith," Lysara's voice boomed through the speakers, authoritative and crystal clear, cutting through the lingering heat in the room like a blade. "I require you and Zaeryn in the Council Chamber immediately."

Daphne cleared her throat, smoothing a hand over her disheveled hair even though Lysara couldn't see them. "High Commander? Has something happened?"

"An emergency session has been called," Lysara stated, her tone leaving no room for argument. "It involves Zaeryn. Get here. Now."

The line clicked dead.

Daphne looked down at Zaeryn, her chest still heaving slightly, her blouse still undone.

"Well," she murmured, a wry, frustrated smile touching her lips. "Duty calls."

"Involves me?" Zaeryn mumbled, worried.

Daphne slid off his lap, her legs unsteady for just a moment before her composure locked back into place. She organized herself quickly and began buttoning her lab coat with swift, practiced movements, her mind already racing through possibilities.

"I don't know," she admitted, glancing back at him as she fastened the last button. "But if Lysara's calling an emergency Council session and specifically asking for you by name..." She trailed off, her expression darkening. "That's not good."

"What do you think is happening?" Zaeryn asked, he had no idea right now. He was under Athea's protection, but still, these things scared him.

"Some of the remaining council members who didn't know about you are back. So that might be the reason," Daphne explained.

Zaeryn stood, adjusting his clothing and running a hand through his disheveled hair. His jaw was tight, the relaxed pleasure from moments ago completely evaporated. "You think the remaining council members found out?"

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