The week following the successful transfer marked the beginning of the most complex secret operation Vaelorian and Riven had ever orchestrated. The twin embryos, carrying the unique, high-power genetic combination of two powerful Gifted fathers, immediately began to affect Willow.
Anya, who was monitoring Willow with relentless vigilance, was the first to notice the extraordinary biological strain.
"Willow, the embryos are developing at an astonishing rate. The high concentration of double DNA is acting as a massive biological stimulant. But there are... side effects. The increased energy demands of two embryos, coupled with your Gift, are fundamentally altering your metabolism." Anya explained to her.
Willow, who was trying to review a land registry proposal, suddenly felt a dizzying surge of energy that made the room seem to move too slowly.
Willow: "I feel… restless. Not tired, but like my baseline speed has been involuntarily accelerated. I'm having trouble focusing on static objects."
Anya: "Precisely. Your Gift is synergizing with the embryos' energy demands. Your cellular regeneration is spiking. In lay terms, you are metabolizing nutrients and energy at roughly twice the normal rate, making your Gift far more active, even when you are standing still."
This was a major security risk. Willow's usual controlled motion was now occasionally punctuated by near-invisible tremors of excess energy, or moments where she simply moved too quickly for a bystander to track—something she always carefully suppressed in public.
"We cannot risk a public exposure. If the Senate connects the strange speed bursts to Willow, and then to a sudden pregnancy, the entire effort to keep this a secret falls apart. Barron, you are on permanent security detail with Willow. You must be the cover for any accidental acceleration." Vaelorian suggested with a thought look.
Barron. "Understood, Your Majesty."
The entire operation became an act of controlled misdirection. Only Vaelorian, Riven, Anya, Sir Eryndor, Barron, and Mira Lune were privy to the truth.
Anya was responsible for managing Willow's volatile metabolism with specialized nutrient serums, forcing her system to regulate the energy drain and minimize the involuntary acceleration spikes.
Barron became Willow's constant shadow, he was ready to provide immediate, believable cover for any physical anomaly.
Mira Lune used her knowledge of court gossip and social engineering to create a thick cloud of misdirection around Willow. She circulated carefully crafted rumors that Willow was obsessively focused on the Crown Initiative projects, explaining her sudden, intense bursts of movement and her tendency to appear and disappear quickly from meetings.
"I told the chief steward that Willow is personally 'running' the entire logistics chain for the new clinics, ensuring efficiency. They believe her strange speed is simply the result of sheer, focused administrative intensity. Everyone thinks she's just the most dedicated civil servant in the history of the Empire." Mira Lune told Riven with a smile.
"The best spies always operate in plain sight, Mira Lune. Well played." Consort Riven replied with a smirk.
While the most profound change was happening in secret, the public focus was entirely on the dazzling, undeniable success of the Crown Initiative Act.
Under Vaelorian and Riven's unified command, the Imperial funds flowed directly to their intended targets. New hospitals broke ground, schools were constructed with impossible speed (thanks in part to Willow's highly accelerated supply chain management), and local economies, previously stifled by Senate bureaucracy, began to boom.
The Emperor leveraged this success with calculated appearances. Vaelorian would make formal addresses at construction sites, always flanked by Riven, reinforcing the image of a strong, unified, and active new reign.
The public adoration for the new Emperor and Consort soared, providing a powerful shield against any potential maneuvering. Senator Aldrin, seeing his attempts at obstruction fail and his own corruption exposed, was reduced to a bitter, powerless figure.
Despite the immense pressure, the secret mission only deepened the bond between the five friends. They were united by a sacred trust—the protection of the next generation of the Lumina Empire.
One evening, Willow was in the lab receiving her daily treatment. She looked exhausted.
Anya, to Vaelorian and Riven: "Willow's energy drain is becoming intense, Your Majesties. I think the twins are boosting her Gift. But it's nothing to worry about."
Riven: "How are you truly feeling, Willow?"
Willow gave a small, genuine smile. "Just tired mostly. The bursts of energy is nice but, it's too much when it's happening so suddenly. I think they already have their fathers' temperaments." She replied, touching her stomach with a smile.
Vaelorian looked at Willow, then at Riven, his heart swelling with pride and affection for the small, unconventional family they were creating.
Vaelorian: "We owe you everything, Willow. We will ensure they are worth this sacrifice."