POV: Lyra
When Orion's transport landed, the rest of the alliance plus Christian and Annie were there to greet us. Orion brought me straight to the medical center, everyone following despite my insistence it wasn't necessary.
After the medical team took blood samples for analysis, Orion convinced me to get a full bio-scan to check if the toxin affected other anatomy. His biggest worry was bone or neural damage.
The lead medic and nurse got me onto an examination platform in a sterile white chamber. When the scan started, blue beams appeared from all four walls, moving up and down my body, then side to side.
Outside the examination chamber, everyone watched in eerie silence. Juan came to Orion's side. The first thing from my sub-commander's mouth was, "If she can't bear offspring, would you leave her?"
Everyone was stunned by Juan's sudden question.
Christian and Annie's eyes widened in shock. Orion's worried gaze on me was replaced with disbelief and anger as he met Juan's hard stare. The Emperor, eyebrows furrowed, questioned rhetorically, "Would I leave her? Me? Leave her? Me?"
The Emperor's response held such devotion that Juan's hardened features softened slightly. Sighs of relief came from most Kaelari present. Still, Christian and Annie felt insulted by how Juan and the others questioned Orion's love for me.
Despite the eased atmosphere, Orion continued, "Juan." He sighed in frustration. "If anything, I should worry my match would leave me. Not the other way around. Honestly, before I knew Lyra loved younglings, I didn't care if she didn't want them. All I ever wanted was to be with her, to love her, and make her happy."
Orion's gaze returned to me through the one-way barrier as he continued, "I keep telling her I'll protect her, and repeatedly I've shown how incompetent I am as her match. Every failure feels like I'm one step closer to the love of my life... rejecting me."
Oh, Orion. You're not incompetent. You're perfect.
The pain and fear of my rejection was clearly suffocating him. His Lyrokan consciousness was probably whimpering constantly.
Suddenly, Juan patted Orion's shoulder. The Emperor met the Commander's warm smile as Juan said, "I'm sorry I doubted you, Your Eminence."
Orion shook his head. "With Lyra's past, you have every right to be." Something still bothered him. Looking at the floor, he asked incoherently, "Do you think she would... will she... will Lyra leave me?"
Juan chuckled lightly. "Well, I hope not."
"That's not very assuring, Juan," Orion said, still ominous.
"Well, she asked me not to blame you for what happened, so I'd say you're still on her good side," Juan added, genuinely trying to help now.
But staying on my good side isn't enough for what he wants. He wants to be my forever. And I want that too, but not if it costs him an heir.
After the examination finished, we waited before the nurse returned with preliminary results. My basic anatomy was fine—bones normal, nervous system normal. However, the worry didn't ease when we learned certain reproduction-related hormones had been suppressed by an unknown substance.
"Is the concentration not subsiding?" Orion asked, caressing my shoulders from behind.
The medic glanced at me sadly before addressing Orion. "No, my Emperor. I'm afraid not. But remember, these are preliminary results. Extensive analysis will take hours."
My mind wasn't in the room anymore. I just wanted to leave and be alone. When we departed, I thanked the medical team numbly with a forced smile. Orion's hand never left my waist as he led us out toward the transport bay.
The alliance walking behind us stayed silent, lost in their own thoughts. We'd all docked near each other, so we walked together. As we approached our transports, a swarm of media drones and reporters appeared around the corner, immediately capturing footage.
One shouted, "My Empress, how are your injuries from Ms. Sasha Cummings's attack yesterday?"
Not in the mood for this. But I knew better than to cause a scene, so I hastened toward Orion's transport, responding with a weak smile, "All healed. Thank you for your concern."
Another reporter shouted, "Were you here for a check-up from Ms. Cummings's attack, or was it for something else, my Empress?"
The glint in his eye and word choice showed he knew more than he let on. He knew it was 'something else.'
I stopped in my tracks, but before I could speak, Orion warned the nosy party in a low, menacing tone, "The Empress is exhausted from defending Forest Gloom Station from rogues. She will not entertain further questions."
The same undaunted reporter with visual enhancers and a data pad asked, "My Emperor, don't we have warriors for that? And conventionally speaking, isn't it undignified for an Empress to be on a battlefield?"
"Undignified?" Orion's eyes turned complete black as they penetrated the reporter's being. The insensitive reporter was beginning to regret his question.