Two weeks later, the silence in Anya's lab was so heavy you could almost hear the molecules moving. Outside, the Crown Initiative was roaring to life, but inside these sterile walls, the future of the Empire was being written in a petri dish. Anya hadn't slept; she had been obsessively refining the protein "masking agents" to stop the DNA from fighting itself.
Willow lay ready, the picture of calm, while Vaelorian and Riven stood shoulder-to-shoulder, their eyes glued to the massive projection screen showing the microscopic world of the ovum.
Anya: "We're in the window. The protein sheath is holding. We're using a high-octane growth medium this time to force the cells to replicate. This is it."
The needle moved with surgical precision. As Anya finished the injection, she suddenly froze, her eyes widening as she stared at the data readouts.
Anya: "Your Majesty, a quick heads-up. Because we made this ovum so 'hungry' for growth to ensure it survived, and because your combined DNA is hyper-efficient... there's a side effect. If this works, the embryo might split."
Vaelorian: "Split? You mean twins?"
Anya: "Mathematically, yes. Two children. Identical. Carrying both your DNA. This is a miracle like we've never seen before, but it's going to be twice the strain on Willow."
Willow didn't even blink.
Willow: "Twins or one, Anya, let's get this show on the road. The Empire needs stability, and I can handle it. Give me the double dose."
"Two of them. Can you imagine? They're going to be a handful." Riven said happily.
Vaelorian chuckled beside him quietly. "They'll be perfect. Anya, proceed."
The wait was agonizing. Vaelorian and Riven refused to leave, taking turns napping in chairs and staring at the screen, willing the cell to just do something. The air was thick with caffeine and anxiety.
Then, just as the first light of dawn hit the Palace spires, Anya gasped.
"Look. The masking agents held. It's cleaving! We have a viable embryo!"
Relief washed over them like a wave, but they didn't cheer yet. They watched, breathless, as the cell split again. And then, something incredible happened. The embryo didn't just grow; it performed a perfect, clean fission.
Anya, voice shaking with excitement. "Your Majesties... look. It's a secondary split. It's clean. We officially have twins."
Riven let out a loud, rough laugh and pulled Vaelorian into a bone-crushing hug.
"Twins! We're actually having twins! Vaelorian, this is really happening!"
Vaelorian pulled back, his eyes shimmering with a mix of awe and relief. He looked over at Willow, who was sitting up with a tired but triumphant smirk.
Willow: "I told you I was fast. Even my cells don't like to wait around."
A few hours later, the final step was complete. The two tiny miracles were successfully transferred into Willow's care. The Imperial line wasn't just safe; it was doubled.
"Two children. Our blood and our future. I don't think the empire is ready for them." Vaelorian said while wrapping his strong arms around Riven.
Riven laughed and rested his head on Vaelorian. "I think we're going to need a bigger nursery. And a lot more coffee."
The mission for the successor was a success. The Crown was secure, the plan was working, and for the first time in history, the Empire of Lumina was looking forward to a future led by two versions of the same incredible dream.