Interstellar Beastworld: Raising A Cub With My Mummy System!-Chapter 50: I WILL BE MARKYLE SIGMOND

She nodded slowly. "And the planetary systems? The courts, the laws, the way things actually work?"

[The judicial system is separate from the council. Judges are appointed by the King but cannot be removed by him. They serve for life. Laws are proposed by the council, approved by the King, and enforced by the military and local guards. There are also planetary systems for resource distribution, trade regulation, and interstellar relations. The Khyrnos System has treaties with neighboring systems, trade agreements, and mutual defense pacts. The Zephorians were part of one of those pacts until recently.]

Lin Yue paused, if it was so, that means Uriel would be busy for a while.

"I see.."

[Their council is divided. The younger faction wants expansion. The older faction remembers the last war and the cost. If the younger faction wins, there will be conflict. If the older faction wins, the treaty may be renewed. Uriel is watching the situation closely.]

"He is part of the council, is he not? He would have a vote."

[He does. He holds the Khyrnos family seat on the council, alongside his father. But the Khyrnos vote is not a single vote. The King holds one, Uriel holds another. It is a deliberate structure, designed to prevent any one branch of the family from dominating the other. The King can vote his conscience, and the prince can vote his. They do not always agree.]

She raised an eyebrow. "They disagree often?"

[Enough. Uriel is more aggressive in military matters. His father prefers diplomacy. It has caused tension in the past, but it has also produced better outcomes. Two perspectives are better than one, especially when the stakes are high.]

She looked down at Auriel. "And when Uriel becomes king? What happens to his vote then?"

[The system adjusts. The heir inherits the throne and the vote that comes with it. The younger children of the king are granted seats on the council as well, but their votes carry less weight. It keeps the family united while preventing any one member from becoming too powerful.]

She thought about that, about the careful balance of power, the way the system was designed to protect itself. "And the military? How does that work?"

[Uriel is the head of all military command. He sets strategy, makes decisions about deployment, determines when and where to engage. Under him is the Chief of Defence, who handles day-to-day matters, the paperwork, the logistics, the movement of troops, the supply lines. The Chief executes the decisions Uriel makes. Girl I just explained that!]

-_-

"So when the Zephorian situation escalates, Uriel would not be the one moving ships and supplies."

[No. He would be the one deciding where those ships go and when they arrive. The Chief of Defence ensures they get there.]

She thought about the man who had kissed her cheek this morning, who had bathed their son and dressed him and massaged his small body. She thought about the weight he carried, the decisions he made, the lives that depended on him.

He was a commander.

A prince.

And a father.

She did not know how he managed all of it.

"What about the other noble houses?"

[There are twelve major houses, each with seats on the council. Some have more influence than others. The Khyrnos family is the oldest and most powerful, but the others have been building their power for generations. Varn’s family is one of them. They have been trying to increase their influence for years, using Varn as a tool.]

She frowned. "His parents?"

[Lord Varnak and Lady Serys. They have been building alliances with other houses, positioning themselves for power. When Varn failed, they distanced themselves. He is useful to them only as long as he succeeds. When he fails, they abandon him.]

Lin Yue thought about the way Varn had treated her when she first arrived. She could not feel sorry for him now.

But she understood the shape of his world a little better.

"Teach me more," she said. "About the houses. About the way power moves." 𝓯𝓻𝒆𝙚𝒘𝓮𝙗𝓷𝒐𝓿𝙚𝒍.𝙘𝓸𝙢

[That is a lesson for another day. You have absorbed enough for one morning. Rest. When you wake, we will continue.]

She wanted to argue, but her eyes were heavy, and Auriel was warm against her chest, and the rocking chair was moving gently beneath her.

She let her eyes close. "One more thing," she murmured.

[What?]

"What is your name? The one you chose for yourself?"

There was a pause. Then:

[Markyle Sigmond. It is a name with weight. Old Kyrnan roots. ’Markyle’ means ’watcher at the threshold.’ ’Sigmond’ means ’victory through silence.’ It rolls of the tongue quite nicely.]

She smiled. "That is a serious name for a cat."

[I will not always be a cat. The therianthrope form is flexible. I will have a human form as well. The cat will be my other shape, the one I use when I want to be close, to watch, to listen. But when I need to speak to others, to move through the world openly, I will have a human face. Markyle Sigmond will be that face.]

She tried to imagine it, a man with sharp eyes and quiet steps, a man who had chosen his own name, who had been a voice in her head and would soon be a presence at her side.

"When will you be ready?"

[Several days or hours. The transformation is complex. But when it is complete, I will find you. I will be there. In whatever form you need.]

She closed her eyes again. "Markyle Sigmond," she murmured. "I like it."

[I am glad. Now sleep. Your body needs all the rest it can get psychologically..]

SOMEWHERE IN THE NORTHERN BARRACKS.

The military council chamber was a stark contrast to the warm corridors of the palace. Polished stone walls, a long table carved from dark wood that had stood for centuries, and windows that looked out over the training grounds where soldiers moved in precise formations.

The air smelled of old paper and the faint metallic tang of the data terminals built into the table.