Meanwhile, in the Grand Council Chamber of the palace, a different kind of tension was brewing.
All key personnel of the Aetheria galaxy, along with the administrators from every planet under its control, had been urgently summoned. They were here for an announcement that could shatter the power structure of their territory.
The vast room was silent, waiting. A long, shining table stretched toward the back wall, and every tall, curved chair along its length was occupied. The assembly sat perfectly still, a dazzling sight.
The clothes they wore were a strange mix of history and future. Some sat in medieval-style long dresses of rich velvet. Others wore sleek, futuristic silver suits with armored plates and glowing blue lights. Finally, one group wore simple, smart business suits. It was a jarring mismatch of eras and styles, yet no one seemed to find it strange as they all faced the front, waiting for the lords to speak.
At the head of the room, on a raised platform, sat the Marquess and Marchioness on two massive, intricate chairs. They looked down on the silent assembly. The people were eager, shuffling nervously, but remained quiet. They all had an inkling of what this meeting was about.
"Everyone should know why I have called you all here today," Aslan began, his voice calm and carrying easily across the hall. Lev, beside him, remained perfectly still, his face unreadable.
"My husband has found a child," Aslan continued. "We are in the process of adopting her. I want everyone here to be present as soon as we submit the official request to His Royal Majesty."
His words shattered the silence. A wave of shocked whispers and sharp intakes of breath erupted from the crowd.
"Impossible!" a voice shouted, cutting through the noise.
A middle-aged man in a black, smart suit, gripping a matching black cane, had pushed his way to the front. This was Administrator John.
"What is impossible, Administrator John?" Aslan's voice was cold, though his face remained stoic.
"That, Lord Marquess," Administrator John said, seeming to realize he had been rude. He bowed quickly. "My apologies, my lord. I thought you already had an heir... Lady Agwa."
"Correction, Administrator," Aslan replied, his eyes locking onto the man. "We were considering her as an heir. For obvious reasons, nothing was ever set in stone."
"Lord Marquess, forgive my rudeness," John pressed on, though sweat was starting to bead on his forehead. "But I thought you had approved. The child already thinks of herself as part of your clan, my lord. She will be devastated if she learns of this news."
A soft, dry chuckle was heard from the side. Marchioness Lev hadn't moved a muscle, his gaze still fixed on the far wall, but the sound was cold, like a stone scraping slate.
"If I remember correctly," Aslan said, his voice quiet but sharp, "I specifically asked to have the child come live in the palace once she turned eighteen. How old is she now?"
Administrator John's eyes widened, and he began to stammer.
"That... she... um... she's fifty, my lord! But you know how younglings are these days! They don't want to part with their biological parents. My child...I mean, your child, my lord, will eventually come to the palace. As a matter of fact, she already packed her luggage! But her mother....I mean, her caretaker, is also reluctant to part with her. But I believe with one word from you and the Marchioness, she will be here in an instant!" John finished in a desperate rush, looking pleadingly at Lev.
Aslan held up a hand, silencing him.
"There is no need for you to do any of that, Administrator John. We are not so heartless as to break up your family." Aslan's voice was perfectly devoid of any emotion, but his eyes were like ice.
"Which is why I have also granted you the title of Planetary Steward of Hyperia. As a reward for birthing a child, we did not mean for you to give up your rights." He added, scanning the room before landing back on John.
"It is good now, isn't it? We finally found an heir, so there is no need for you to worry, John."
"No, my lord. We didn't mean for the delay. Also, we don't know where it came from. For all we know, it was some kind of scheme from a rival galaxy planning to endanger both you and your grace's life-" The words were violently cut short.
A sudden force pushed John to the ground, forcing him onto his knees and leaving a dark crack in the stone floor.
"You do not call my child 'it,' Administrator John," Lev rebuked angrily, staring coldly at the kneeling man.
Everyone in the room felt the immense pressure coming from the usually quiet Marchioness. It came as a shock. Lev had always been serene and quiet, never taking part in any discussion since marrying the Lord. This was the first time they had ever seen his open anger and aggressiveness.
A voice cut through the stunned silence, loud and clear. "The Marchioness is right! No one would risk a child for a scheme! They are too precious!"
"Exactly!" shouted another administrator from the back. "A child is a blessing, not bait! We should only be thankful the lords found her alive!"
"There is no one in the entire Royal Fenrir Empire who would be foolish enough to use a child for a scheme. On the contrary, they would probably hide their child more tightly, just like you did, Administrator John." Lev's voice was laced with sarcasm.
The room erupted with noise once again. Most of the assembly agreed with the lords' decision to adopt the found child. They had had enough of John's greed and antics, which had recently disregarded their lords' authority. There was no doubt that the moment his child became the heir, his greedy nature would worsen.
John was simply an outsider who settled on Planet Hyperia. By some luck, he and his wife birthed Lady Agwa. The fanfare it caused was massive, and by the law of the Royal Fenrir Empire, the couple was granted great wealth to provide for the child.
But John was greedy. He had offered his child to the Lord of the Aetheria Galaxy, thinking that making her an heir would bring him more honor and wealth, and trusting the kind nature of the Marquess and Marchioness to maintain their ties with the child. Aslan, wanting to please his husband, had agreed, elevating John's status and making him a Planetary Steward.
He had even let John and his wife raise the child until she turned eighteen. But time passed, and the couple kept delaying, never even bringing the child to visit the palace. They were so confident Lady Agwa would be the heir. But now, things were different.
As time passed and the child never appeared, both Aslan and Lev understood that the couple was not going to keep their word. But they hadn't forced the issue, knowing how precious a child could be. But now, John had the audacity to label their miracle child as part of a scheme. Lev was utterly livid. If not for the people in the room and his consideration for John's child, he would have crippled the man right there.
Before the discussion could continue, the door pushed open suddenly, and a maid was standing there breathless. Everyone's eyes shot towards her direction.
"The child... Huff huff..." the maid took in a short breath. Both Lev and Aslan suddenly stood up, while Lev was already rushing forward.
"What of my child?" Lev asked with a hint of urgency.
"The young lady is awake..." the maid was finally able to finish her words. But Lev had already rushed out with a frantic look on his face. Aslan followed him without even looking back at the people left behind.