Despite the deep personal focus on the successor, Emperor Vaelorian was not neglecting his political duties. On the seventh day of their mandated "honeymoon," Vaelorian and Riven, accompanied by the Empress and a visibly annoyed but necessary cohort of senators, gathered in the Great Hall.
The atmosphere was tense. Senator Aldrin and his allies, still smarting from their defeat, watched with sullen faces as the "Crown Initiative Act" was read aloud. This Act was the culmination of years of Vaelorian's strategic work, granting the Crown direct authority to fund essential national projects—healthcare, education, and infrastructure—by bypassing the Senate's restrictive Imperial sanctions.
Vaelorian, supported by Riven, wasted no time on pleasantries.
Emperor Vaelorian: "The people of Lumina will no longer suffer under the weight of political stagnation. The welfare of our citizens is paramount. The Crown Initiative Act will secure the future prosperity of this Empire."
He signed the document with a flourish, Riven placing his hand on Vaelorian's shoulder in a gesture of shared authority. The Empress smiled radiantly.
Consort Riven: "The Emperor and I believe that governance requires action, not endless debate on unimportant topics. The Crown Initiative Act is now law. We'll begin the rebuilding of this great empire together."
The Senators could do nothing but watch. The speed, unity, and decisiveness of the new Emperor and Consort were undeniable. The Crown had won a fundamental victory over the old guard's power structure for good.
With the political foundation secured, Vaelorian and Riven returned to the laboratory, their focus shifting entirely to the incredibly delicate biological process underway. Anya was leading a team of specialized geneticists, working under the most stringent security and secrecy.
"We are facing a complex problem, Your Majesties. Your combined Gifts are too powerful. They are creating some volatile genetic signatures that have never been seen before. We must ensure the resulting embryo is stable and that the ovum accepts the restructuring." Anya informed them one morning.
Willow, sitting calmly nearby, was monitoring her health and simultaneously reviewing the final contracts for the first Crown Initiative school project.
Anya walked them through the process. The first challenge was preparing the ovum donated by Willow. The second was introducing the combined genetic material from both Vaelorian and Riven in a way that encouraged the formation of a single, viable nucleus.
"We have successfully prepared the ovum for microinjection. The cells are responding well to the pre-treatment designed to accept the dual genetic material. We will proceed with the injection now, but the waiting period for cell division—the initial sign of viability—is the longest, most stressful part." Anya explained further.
The injection proceeded flawlessly. For the next twenty-four hours, the trio waited anxiously. Anya monitored the ovum with the fierce concentration of a scientist and the loyalty of a guardian.
The following morning, Anya's face was grim when she met Vaelorian and Riven. Willow was already there, her usual pragmatic facade slightly strained.
Anya: "Your Majesties, I am sorry. The attempt failed."
Vaelorian and Riven exchanged a heavy look. The silence in the laboratory was profound, the failure was painful.
Anya: "The ovum accepted the genetic material initially. However, the genetic restructuring proved too complex. Sometime during the first critical phase of cell division, the embryo became unstable. It failed to cleave correctly. The body simply rejected the attempt to merge two such distinct, powerful male genetic codes. It was, scientifically speaking, a miracle we got this far, but the attempt was unsuccessful."
Vaelorian closed his eyes, the political victory feeling hollow compared to this deeply personal loss. Riven placed a gentle hand on his shoulder.
"I see. Willow are you alright?" Vaelorian inquired.
"I'm perfectly fine, Your Majesty. Disappointed, but physically unharmed. It was a 10% chance; we knew the odds." Willow replied, her voice sounding sad.
Anya: "We can confirm that Willow is an excellent biological candidate. Her system responded beautifully to the preparation. The setback is solely due to the experimental nature of fusing the two paternal genetic codes."
"So, the plan of having a child with both our DNAs... it's over?" Riven asked the question Vaelorian was afraid of asking.
Anya shook her head slowly. "No. This is a setback, not complete termination. We gained invaluable data on the rejection markers. We know exactly which proteins caused the instability. With this knowledge, we can refine the genetic sequencing and the ovum preparation. It will take time—another week of preparation, but the success rate for the next attempt will be higher, perhaps even climbing back into the acceptable 30% range."
Vaelorian looked at Riven, his resolve harding. They have survived the worst of missions together. They wouldn't fail at their most personal mission yet.
"A temporary defeat. We'll continue. Anya, refine the process. Willow, we'll proceed when you are ready."
The Emperor and Consort walked out of the lab, holding their heads high. The Crown Initiative Act was signed, the Empire was moving forward, and though they had suffered their first significant loss, the quest for the Successor was far from over.