Matriarch Benezia, Royal Palace – Veridian.

"HAHAHAHA! TO HARRY! FRIEND OF ASGARD!" Prince Thor roared with delight, holding an enormous metal tankard the size of Benezia's head, from which he drank a thick liquid that Benezia assumed was alcohol.

"Look at that. I'm sure he could outdrink Wrex," Aethyta said with disbelief and fascination, watching as the Asgardian prince, who only a couple of days earlier had been discussing politics, economics, and mutual defense…drank his tenth tankard of that strange Terran liquor.

Mead, if Benezia remembered correctly, she thought, shuddering as she watched him laugh and effortlessly lift one of her maidens, seating her on his shoulder with a single hand, much to the obvious fascination and pleasure of the precocious Asari, of course, Benezia thought with some irritation.

"Another maiden who'll surely end up in the Asgardian prince's bed. How many has it been already?" Aethyta asked with thinly veiled amusement, making Benezia sigh.

"Seven. One for every day since we left the Citadel. Some nights, even more than one. The young maidens are…more than fascinated in general. Some have even pledged themselves to human families," Benezia said softly, making Aethyta laugh with amusement.

"Including our daughter," Aethyta replied, laughing heartily at the look of agony Benezia made upon hearing those words. The subject of the Emperor's relationship with her beloved and innocent daughter was still…complicated for the Matriarch.

Although, to her eternal embarrassment, it was complicated for entirely the wrong reasons.

Laughter and merriment surrounded them, and although it was difficult to believe, Benezia and the rest of the diplomatic delegation had made more than considerable progress. Decisions that would normally take months to resolve with her sisters on Thessia were settled in two minutes by an order from Harrison or one of his Queens.

One could say whatever one wished about monarchy, but at least in Harrison's hands, it was damnably effective. Benezia had discussed treaties, potential business ventures, and even touched upon migration. Ultimately, Thessia wanted an Asari presence on the Citadel, which was understandable considering that it was the galactic control center for the galaxy's space highways.

The Asari had adapted to the Imperial Court with elegance, as though they had always belonged there. The immense, extraordinarily advanced, and luxurious hall of Harrison's Palace made even Thessia's most beautiful buildings look like huts.

There were things that…simply made no sense!

The technology here was absurdly complicated, to the point that Benezia, Aethyta, and the brightest minds Thessia had sent with them couldn't understand it. It was even more advanced than the Imperial standard, judging by what she had glimpsed on the Citadel.

The ancient Prothean capital had been extraordinarily advanced, a jewel of galactic engineering, but even so, it was technology with which Benezia and her sisters were somewhat familiar.

But what she had seen inside the Imperial Palace…

At first glance, Benezia had deduced that the Empire and humanity were perhaps at a technological level close to that of the Protheans, at least according to what Athame had been able to share with them.

What the Emperor had allowed her to share, Benezia thought with concern, because if there was one thing that had become clear to the Matriarch, it was that Terran technology was light-years ahead of the rest of the galaxy.

In so many ways that Benezia didn't even know where to begin imagining them.

They possessed masterful control over Mass Effect technology, to the point of considering it primitive. They had the means to synthesize Eezo, an achievement many Asari had only dreamed of. To humanity, the galactic technological standard was…primitive.

And yet, the Imperial standard itself was extraordinarily primitive compared to the Emperor's personal technology. The Matriarch was rather embarrassed to admit that she couldn't even begin to understand how half the things she had seen in this place worked.

Her omni-tool couldn't even analyze what kind of alloy had been used to construct the Palace, she thought irritably.

Her face must have reflected her annoyance, because Aethyta gently took her hand, not bothering to conceal the closeness between them. They weren't on Nexus, after all.

"What are you thinking about, Nezzy?" she asked, making Benezia sigh before answering.

"About…how overwhelmingly superior the Emperor's technology is! Look at those robots, Aethyta! A single one of them could tear a Turian frigate apart with ease, and he uses them as decorations," she said with some disbelief, raising her hand toward the imposing mechanical Titans, twenty meters tall and producing more energy than an entire starship.

Aethyta nodded, surprisingly with a smile.

"Aye, they're incredible, aren't they? They're called Sentinels. Fleet Master Rogers and I will have a regiment of them for operations in Terminus," Aethyta said, evidently excited.

"How did that meeting go? I was busy with Tevos drafting the first migration and integration manifesto," Benezia asked curiously, making a smile illuminate Aethyta's face.

"Oh, it was incredible! We held training exercises between our commandos and the Spartans. It went about as well as you'd imagine. The humans wiped the floor with our sisters, although they performed much more effectively against lower-ranking human soldiers. Humans are taller and stronger, but our sisters are agile and fast. Even so, it's obvious that we need to modernize our training and combat standards," Aethyta replied with a shrug.

Benezia nodded, frowning as she looked toward the Throne of Veridian, concealed in the shadows and surrounded by his private council, the infamous Lionesses, the most powerful and important women in the Empire.

Like every Terran woman she had seen, they were extraordinarily tall, taller than most Krogan she had encountered in her life, with powerful bodies and enough strength to dent steel. Yet they possessed an elegance and femininity that drew the Matriarch like a moth to a flame.

Oh, Benezia wasn't a fool. During her conversations with the Lionesses, she had noticed the subtle wordplay, the light touches, the way the Terran women devoured her mature figure with their eyes, gazes filled with lust and desire, accompanied by mischievous smiles.

And what was worse?

The Asari Matriarch loved it.

That sensation of being desired, that furious Terran passion that made her Azure tremble with anticipation, stirred feelings that were overwhelming. Her body was under constant siege, and with each passing day, Benezia's defenses eroded a little further.

"Nezzy!" Aethyta said, raising her voice and quickly pulling her out of her lustful thoughts.

Benezia looked at her lover, who returned her gaze with amusement.

"My apologies, Aethyta. What did you say?" she asked in embarrassment, making the Asari admiral roll her eyes before answering.

"I said…our little girl looks very happy," she said joyfully, pointing toward the Imperial Throne, where, indeed, their beloved and precious daughter was sitting on the Emperor's lap.

The difference in their sizes was quite evident. They were chatting pleasantly, Liara moving her hands in expressive gestures that betrayed her excitement about the subject, while her hip was held possessively by Emperor Harrison's enormous hand.

Benezia sighed, somewhat scandalized by such a…public display of affection. But Terran standards of modesty were…very different from those on Nexus, something many maidens seemed to enjoy, considering that the vast majority of the Asari who had accompanied her were in similar positions, seated on the laps of Imperial heirs, officers, and businessmen.

Both men and women.

"She does. The Emperor is fond of her. Did you know he authorized unlimited resources for Liara's studies? A blank check for her excavations and explorations, an enormous ship, and a regiment of soldiers for her protection," Benezia said softly, genuinely impressed by the Emperor's generosity.

Aethyta widened her eyes in surprise, evidently unaware of the news.

"I…had no idea. That puts my worries at ease, to be honest. It's a good indication of how serious the human's intentions are toward our daughter. Look at her. She's radiant. She's completely in love," Aethyta said firmly.

Benezia nodded gently, smiling as she watched happiness radiate from her Little Wing's face. However, before she could continue watching, a feminine voice with that artificial accent that betrayed its Terran origin interrupted her thoughts.

"My Ladies."

At those words, Benezia and Aethyta turned their attention toward the black metallic sphere levitating gently behind them. The artificial eye at its center glowed a brilliant green, revealing the identity of the AI behind the little drone.

"Hedwig," both Matriarchs said softly, inclining their heads respectfully toward the Monitor, the AI in charge of Veridian and, practically speaking, the Emperor's second digital daughter.

"My father has requested your presence in his private tower. The rest of the Lionesses are already there," she said in her characteristic warm voice, making Benezia and Aethyta raise their eyebrows in surprise.

"What? But the Emperor is right there!" Aethyta exclaimed in shock, pointing toward the imposing throne, where the Emperor and the Lionesses were overlooking the immense hall.

At those words, Hedwig released a series of small chirps that sounded suspiciously like laughter.

"Oh, my Ladies, you know my father. He detests these events. What you're seeing is holographic technology belonging to the Imperial House of Evans. The Emperor is in orbit, which is where we're heading now," the Monitor said with a little giggle, just as one of those marvelous and strange emerald portals appeared beside her.

Benezia and Aethyta looked at each other in silence before simply nodding and stepping through the mysterious threshold with perfect composure, leaving the other maidens and commandos behind at the exceedingly lively party.

A second of darkness later, both Benezia and Aethyta appeared inside an immense, unfamiliar room. Judging by the enormous window before them, however, they were somewhere aboard the Citadel.

"There are more and more Imperial ships at the station, Nezzy," Aethyta said cautiously, watching three new cruisers stationed between the station's arms, overseeing its increasingly heavy traffic.

"I know, and with luck, we'll soon be able to add an Asari fleet to the Imperial ships. Have you received a response from your fellow admirals?" Benezia asked as they walked toward the observation deck, which offered an impressive view of the Citadel's gigantic arms, as well as the red, blue, and green jewel that was Veridian on the horizon.

Aethyta crossed her arms, gazing thoughtfully into the void of space.

"I have. For obvious reasons, we can't redirect an entire fleet here, so we'll have to build one from scratch. The Council will covertly send the key components to a system in the Terminus Sector, where the Empire will deploy something called…a Star Forge."

Benezia nodded gently before asking another question.

"Do we have a name for the commander who'll be assigned?"

At that question, the admiral nodded while gently stroking her crest, a habit Aethyta had possessed since her matron years.

"Lidanya has been selected. And not only that, but the Council has authorized the Ascension process. They want the first Asari ship stationed at the Citadel to be a declaration of Asari galactic power."

Benezia nodded at Aethyta's words, opening her mouth to respond when Liara's voice interrupted them.

"Mother!"

The young maiden's shout was followed by hurried footsteps, revealing the young Asari walking toward the observation deck, as usual dressed in an elegant, custom-tailored Terran gown that accentuated every attribute of her beloved Little Wing.

Behind her came Tevos's serene footsteps, followed by the heavy steps that could only belong to the Emperor, as usual dressed in a casual robe and possessing more power and presence in his simple stride than any politician Benezia had ever known.

"Emperor," both Asari emissaries said.

And Harrison replied.

"Benezia, Aethyta, thank you for coming," he said in that masculine voice that filled Benezia with uncertainty, desire, and caution, all at once.

The Matriarch scolded herself for behaving like a maiden in the presence of her beloved daughter's mate, although, much to Benezia's intrigue, Liara didn't seem to have any problem sharing the Emperor.

"Is something wrong, Lord Harrison? I don't see the rest of your Lionesses," Aethyta asked calmly, going straight to the point.

Benezia sighed and shook her head gently, still not at all accustomed to the…less-than-subtle nature of human diplomacy.

The Emperor smiled softly before shaking his head and approaching with heavy steps until he stood deliciously close to both women, making Benezia and Aethyta swallow with difficulty, both overwhelmed by Harrison's dominant masculine presence.

Benezia wondered how those enormous human hands would feel against her body. They looked strong and rough. However, before she could say something she might regret, the Emperor spoke.

"Nothing you need to worry about. All my Lionesses have been deployed on various assignments throughout different systems, and I wanted to get a couple of things ready before departing for Andromeda," he said casually.

Then he focused his gaze on Aethyta, and Benezia raised an eyebrow as she watched the Emperor's hungry eyes openly study her lover.

And to Benezia's indignation, Aethyta had the audacity to subtly pose to emphasize her attributes!

"Aethyta, I've rearranged a few projects and prioritized a surprise for your operations in Terminus. A little gift from your son-in-law, so to speak," the Emperor said, making both Benezia and Aethyta widen their eyes in shock before looking between Harrison and Liara with concern.

"What? But…I don't…" they both attempted to say, their skin glowing with a purple hue that betrayed their embarrassment, at least until Liara stepped forward and took both Benezia's and Aethyta's hands.

"You don't have to keep pretending, Mother. Hermione figured it out the very first moment she saw the three of us together. Apparently, my Harrison's daughter mapped the entire Asari genome as a hobby. According to her, we share direct hereditary genetic features that are impossible to ignore," the young maiden said with a smile, making both Matriarchs sigh heavily.

"We wanted to protect you as much as possible. The stigma is…quite difficult to overcome, even for someone of our social standing, Little Wing," Benezia replied, no longer having any real reason to conceal it.

Her Little Wing nodded gently before turning her gaze toward a silent Aethyta.

"Harrison has a surprise for you, Father. He's asked me to escort you aboard your new toy, giving us time to talk more thoroughly," their beloved daughter said, making Aethyta and Benezia look at her curiously.

"Toy? What toy are you talking about?" Aethyta asked with intrigue.

And then, as though somehow waiting for that very question, the observation deck lit up for an instant, an emerald flash giving way to an Imperial vessel completely unlike anything Benezia had ever seen before.

Her beloved Little Wing smiled radiantly, raising her hand toward the observation deck and exclaiming:

"Your new ship, of course!" she said brightly, while Aethyta opened and closed her mouth in disbelief.

Harrison stepped forward, his expression serene and his gaze proud.

"The plans to construct a stealth deep-space station in the Terminus systems are good, but that will require several months of work. And if I'm being honest, I want to start hurting the pirates as quickly as possible. So I decided, in a completely totalitarian manner and an obvious display of favoritism and nepotism, to assign you one of my available stealth ships. Allow me to introduce the Nyx, your new flagship for special operations," the Emperor said proudly.

Aethyta could only open and close her mouth, incredulous at Harrison's words, although he didn't seem to notice.

"It's a small assault carrier. We've adapted its hangars to accommodate ten Prowler vessels, enough for a considerable number of joint operations. The mission is simple: destabilize Wild Space. Sabotage, assassination, and espionage, whatever it takes to make the galactic scum start killing each other."

Aethyta looked at Harrison as though he were the Goddess herself, her pupils dilated and, to Benezia's disbelief, her excitement visibly affecting her body.

"I…don't know what to say," she finally managed, making the Emperor roll his eyes before replying.

"Meh, you don't have to say anything. Your daughter will be my wife, and at some point she'll give me a horde of little blue girls running all over the station. So I have to make sure their grandmothers are alive to witness it. I'm not sending you to war with that primitive and depressing Asari technology," he said with complete nonchalance.

Benezia watched as Aethyta's face filled with several emotions at once.

Gratitude, indignation, amusement, and fury. The young Emperor seemed to possess a gift for making people angry, undoubtedly a talent he had abused throughout his rise to power.

"Now…Liara, my love, please escort your father to the bridge of her new ship. I need to speak with your mother and Tevos privately," the Emperor ordered, making their beloved daughter nod gently.

A second later, the Emperor made a circular gesture with his hands, causing a kind of…orange wormhole to appear before him.

Without hesitation, placing complete trust in the Emperor's word and abilities, Liara gently took her father's hand, a smile on her face, and stepped through the threshold, followed closely by an excited Aethyta.

Leaving Benezia and Tevos alone with the human Emperor.

Benezia gently straightened her back, adopting a pose that was feminine, seductive, and refined all at once. She immensely enjoyed watching Harrison's eyes settle entirely upon her breasts, Benezia's finest attribute.

It felt…extraordinarily pleasurable to feel the Emperor's lustful gaze upon her. If she was honest with herself, that mischievous flutter in her Azure made her feel as though she were a maiden again, eager to experiment and ready to devour the galaxy in a single bite.

The Matriarch sighed, only for her composure to crumble when the Emperor's enormous hand settled upon her hip, drawing her mature body toward him. The difference between them was immense. Benezia was tall by Asari standards, her figure elegant and voluptuous, yet compared to the Emperor's imposing size, she couldn't help feeling tiny, vulnerable, and deliciously overwhelmed by his mere presence.

When Harrison's touch grew more intimate, Benezia blushed and gasped, struggling to reconcile her centuries of practiced dignity with the desire that had been building inside her.

"No…we shouldn't. You and Liara! I…"

Her guilty protest dissolved beneath the Emperor's commanding attention, leaving her breathless in his arms.

"Liara is a beautiful flower, young and innocent. My beautiful Asari maiden must be treated with delicacy, love, and patience. I haven't yet had the pleasure of sharing that intimacy with her, you know. It'll probably happen in a luxurious hotel in the Imperial Capital. A private evening, filled with elegance and luxury, something worthy of one of my Lionesses. I can't wait to see her beautiful eyes filled with wonder when that moment finally comes."

Benezia began breathing unevenly, shivering at the images Harrison's words had placed in her mind.

"You…on the other hand, are an entirely different case. I can see it easily, you know. What you hide beneath that mask of propriety and elegance," Harrison whispered, his attention lingering upon her neck, making the Matriarch tremble.

"My Lord! My Lord!" she whispered repeatedly, her body burning with excitement, her pupils dilated and her breathing unsteady.

Never…never had she felt this way. Her senses were clouded, her emotions stirred for the first time in centuries, and the mature woman could scarcely contain her astonishment when her dress disappeared without explanation, leaving her exposed before the Emperor.

Benezia responded instinctively, drawing herself closer to Harrison, abandoning the distance and restraint she had maintained throughout her long life.

"Do the Asari please you so much that you're willing to have four of us on your private council, my Lord? I don't blame you, you know. Is it our voluptuous and elegant bodies? Perhaps our smooth, beautiful skin? Or maybe our sweet voices and dances?" Benezia challenged, lost in the sensations Harrison awakened within her.

The mature Asari, now naked, clung to the Emperor's body, gasping when an invisible force lifted her without touching her. Her eyes widened as the Emperor's robe slowly vanished, revealing Harrison Evans's powerful physique.

His body was…like a dream made real, practically perfect, possessing the ideal balance of muscle, bone density, and body fat, with elegant yet unmistakably masculine features.

And as though that weren't enough…the Emperor knew perfectly well how to exploit the Matriarch's desires and fantasies.

"I know a woman who craves surrender when I see one, Benezia. Beneath all that Asari propriety, beneath that icy expression…there's a passionate woman longing to be possessed by a real man," the Emperor declared, his words leaving her trembling beneath his attention.

The intensity was…overwhelming for Benezia, who, to her embarrassment, reacted like a maiden, her composure completely shattered and her desire greater than ever.

Benezia's glassy eyes widened as Harrison drew her closer, leaving no doubt about the intimacy he intended to share with her.

It was…a threshold she had never crossed in quite this way before, and the realization filled her with equal measures of nervousness and anticipation.

"Liara is a beautiful flower, delicate and reserved. A perfect wife, a strong and intelligent woman who will raise our children wonderfully. But you, Benezia…you're something different," Harrison whispered softly into her ear.

His next words were possessive and deliberately provocative, making clear that he intended to claim a place in her life far beyond this encounter.

For a moment, there was only silence as Benezia surrendered to the unfamiliar intensity of their closeness. Her nervousness gave way to overwhelming pleasure, and she cried out.

"AHHHHH! MY LORD!"

Benezia felt her earlier discomfort dissolve into pleasure, her senses overwhelmed by the intimacy she was experiencing with a human for the first time in her life. She was already certain she would never wish to take another lover besides Harrison.

Something told her the Emperor was the jealous and possessive type.

"What about Aethyta? Do you intend to fuck Liara's other mother too? Do you want both of us for your growing collection of lovers?" the Matriarch challenged, beside herself with pleasure and desire, as well as the image of Aethyta and herself, both naked and kneeling before the Throne of Veridian, wearing simple collars around their necks that marked them as Evans concubines.

Harrison briefly interrupted their intimacy, much to Benezia's growing frustration, before drawing her close again. The Matriarch smiled, lost in the moment, unwilling to let the distance between them remain.

"I'll tame Aethyta in due time. But for now…I hope you haven't made any plans, darling, because I intend to give my wife a little sister," Harrison whispered with a mischievous smile, making Benezia gasp at the scandalous image.

"Now, be a good girl and moan for me," he ordered, drawing the Matriarch into a more passionate embrace while Tevos joined them, her attention settling upon Benezia from behind.

"Prepare yourself, Benezia. You won't be returning to your chambers tonight. And if you behave yourself, perhaps I'll send you back to Aethyta with a very intimate reminder of our evening," Harrison said, leaving the woman breathless and lost in her thoughts.

"This is only the beginning," Tevos said softly, kneeling behind the Matriarch at the Emperor's command and pressing an affectionate kiss against her skin.

It would be…a pleasurable and very long night.