Gotrid (15:36)
My Emperor, I hope I'm not imposing by writing you a personal message.
I'm staring at my phone's screen. I've been speaking on the phone with Gotrid several times before but it was never really private. We were always discussing the situation in the States. I look around but Liana's hard at work and Erik isn't even here.
I can just casually reply, right? Actually, I don't care about some stupid royal protocol, I'm more concerned about Erik's reaction should he find out. He's jealous of Gotrid because he symbolises everything he's so afraid of.
I freeze in a moment of sudden clarity. Isn't that exactly what our psychologist Zetraya was talking about? One of the signs of unhealthy co-dependency? Am I holding back because I don't want to make Erik angry? Am I letting myself be limited by him because I fear his reaction?
I should take another step, progress a bit more again. I shouldn't be afraid to talk to men just because it makes my partner jealous. So I decide to reply. It's not like I'm cheating, Gotrid is a just a friend. A bit teasy but a friend.
Aefener (15:38)
No at all. Are you okay?
Gotrid (15:38)
I couldn't have been better. I'm seeing my Emperor in just a week!
Aefener (15:39)
I'm looking forward to meeting you in person, too. And our other guild members in the States.
I send that message, a bit nervous that he might misunderstand. I do genuinely look forward to seeing him but I don't want to give him a false hope. Even though his teasing was mostly for fun until now, something tells me he pursue me for real if he was given a chance. And if I was single, I would see nothing wrong with that, he's my type. But I'm taken. I already have a partner I love immensely.
Gotrid (15:40)
How are the preparations going? The Celestial community here can't wait to finally meet our Emperor.
Aefener (15:41)
A ton of work as expected. A lot of studying. Liana is crazy about our safety while I can't imagine being on a plane for ten hours. I just wish we were able to fly over the sea with our wings. Maybe one day we will be?
Gotrid (15:42)
We're not migratory birds, Your Majesty. :D By the way, I have happy news and that's actually why I texted you in the first place.
I wait for a few seconds to see what news that is and Gotrid sends me his selfie... in the air!
Aefener (15:43)
Oh, you flew! Congrats! How did it feel?
Gotrid (15:42)
Amazing, of course. :) I can't wait to be able to fly with you, my Emperor. I already asked Her Excellency if it's okay and I got my approval. Let's play some games!
I think my heart just skipped a beat when I imagined Gotrid's fully grown gorgeous wings and me playing fetch with him. That doesn't qualify as cheating, right? It'll be a friendly flying session with my friend, nothing more.
"Are you working, Your Majesty?" my adjutant coughs all of a sudden.
I twitch, surprised that I was caught, and the phone slips from my fingers. I want to catch it with telekinesis but it happens too fast and my poor phone lands with an ominous thud.
"Oh, no!" I cry and grab it from the ground. It must have fallen especially unfortunately because despite the fortified glass, it's broken. I try switching it on again but the screen remains dark. Something within it must have snapped.
"Don't panic, Your Majesty," Luviael hurries to me. "You had everything in the cloud anyway, right?"
"But I had this phone for years, it has sentimental value," I whine. "I bought it with my first money from gaming."
Luviael is looking at me as if I was crazy or something. I guess I am. Nobody has the same phone for six years.
"I understand," Luvi says when she digests it. "But accidents happen. Besides, buying a new one is a good opportunity to finally set it for your new Celestial identity."
"Oh, that," I realise that I've still been using my old human account. Our IT department checked my phone for viruses and put in the best encryption possible but that was it.
"Li? Do you have a spare you're no longer using? I'll be fine with that," I ask my Viceroy.
"Just buy the latest Nebula, Aefener," Liana sighs. "Some Celestials noticed how old your phone is and were asking me why our Emperor isn't using something that would suit his status."
"But those cost hundreds of euros," I shake my head. "I can't wait for my next salary to come, I need something immediately."
Both Liana and Luviael glare at me to the point it becomes awkward.
"Did you spend all your money already?" Liana frowns, confused. "I'm sorry, is your salary not enough? You should have said so."
"Oh, no, it's more than generous," I assure her. "It's just... I sent some money to my grandmother so that I don't have to feel obligated to her anymore and the rest... well... the Thai embassy needed money to rent their own place and then I wanted to support homeless Draconians in Bohemia... and it kept piling up."
"You gave all your money away?" Liana gasps for breath. "Did you actually keep at least something?"
"Not really," I shrug. "What use do I have for it anyway? My rent is free, my food as well and my maids apparently buy me new clothes without me even asking for it."
"Naturally, I gave them some budget," Liana nods. "But seriously, Aefener, the salary is meant for your personal usage."
"I still have my own money from donations," I remind her. "It keeps pouring for some reason even if I don't stream anymore. So I put it to good use."
"Of course, it's pouring in, Ingri is keeping your Vortex account active," she explains. "Where do you think we post the videos of you flying and such?"
I frown. I gave up on social media weeks ago because I thought it wasn't needed anymore but I had no idea Ingri is still taking care of it. I quickly look up my profile on the computer but I don't log in. I want to see how it looks like to a regular visitor.
I widen my eyes when I discover that the gallery is full of my photos from various occasions. Most of the time I wasn't even aware I was being photographed. Admittedly, I look quite okay in those photos, at least Ingri picked the best angles, but that doesn't mean I'm not angry about it.
"What the hell, Li?" I click my tongue and turn the screen to her. "You're taking photos without my consent?!"
"You gave your consent," she raises her eyebrow. "When you were signing the employment contract, remember?"
"I bet he didn't read it," Luvi rolls her eyes.
"I didn't read it because I didn't expect there to be a catch," I accuse her.
"Consent to promotional materials isn't a catch, Aefener," Liana explains patiently. "Have you never noticed Erik adjusting your robe during meetings or seating you differently? Anyway, I don't want you financing things outside our official procedures."
"Why not?" I don't understand. "It's my money and I can do whatever I want with it."
"Practical reasons, Aefener," she says. "We need to keep things in balance. Draconians can't depend on a few rich of us to support them or they won't make an effort. Sure, now we have to fund things from our own pockets because it can't be avoided but we need to build a working economy as soon as possible."
"You can still donate your money if you wish so, Your Majesty," Luviael sets the record straight because I keep frowning at my Viceroy. "But it has to go through official procedures. We have to prevent Celestials calling you outside working hours and begging you for money."
"Outside working hours," I murmur, remembering that one occasion with the Thai embassy that made my partner especially pissed. "Did Erik complain?"
"He did and he was right to do so," Liana looks at me apologetically. "Don't you think I'm not aware that I'm overworking all of you. Erik has been pressing me about free weekends and he has a point."
"Oh, he told you already?" I bite my lip. "We want Sundays off. We all should get at least one day a week free or we'll collapse. I feel the tension rising around me, everyone's at the verge of burnout."
"I know," she admits. "I promise to do something about our workload after the conference, okay?"
"Deal," I nod, satisfied for now.
I didn't expect it to go so smoothly. Liana is the hardest-working person I know but it turns out she's a reasonable boss. I have to smile when I realise that despite being the Emperor, meaning her superior, I do consider her to be my boss when it comes to work.
*****
The following days are strangely monotonous and hectic at the same time. We're busy with preparing for the conference but the routine is the same every day. I wake up at seven, Erik sees to it that I eat healthy breakfast, we work until 11:30, then there's our flying session, lunch, Liana and Luvi give me lessons on politics, we have our mandatory magic training and I return home at six, dead tired.
I'd like to have another appointment with our psychologist Zetraya but there's simply not enough hours in the day for that right now. Besides, Erik doesn't seem enthusiastic about it. I suspect he'd prefer a human psychologist. It's a predicament. I know I wouldn't be able to open up to a human and he's not able to open up to a Draconian.
I suggested we should attend sessions separately then but he was totally against that idea. Moreover, Liana didn't approve of hiring a human, claiming humans can't be trusted with relationship issues of the royal couple which made Erik furious with her. He's very sensitive about calling humans untrustworthy. A dead-end.
Good news is that more and more Celestials are able to fly by each passing day. Miruel and Taranah just seven days after Liana, Vermiel two days ago and Luvi's transformation finished today. Celestials are enthusiastically sharing their videos and, naturally, it's trending on the Internet.
"Okay, we will try to go further today," Vermiel allows while giving instructions to the guards whose transformation has also finished. He finally assessed that our protection is adequate with these numbers.
Erik is here to see me off today. He hasn't come to my flying session recently, being too busy with his own work. Or at least I thought that's the main reason. I'm not so sure about it anymore. He's happy for me but it starts to seriously bug him that he can't accompany me. He knows how I love sharing the sky with my Celestial friends so it makes him twice as sad that it's the only thing he can't share with me.
"I share other things with you," I whisper to him a second before I kiss him. "Things I can't share with them. It's not any less valuable."
"I know," he admits but my reassurance doesn't mitigate his insecurity.
"Aefener!" Emi appears on the roof which is totally unexpected. Clawfangs might not hate heights as much as the Earthborn but they aren't fond of them either.
"I want you to have it," she says, takes my hand and puts her favourite tennis ball on my palm.
"Emi, I... I can't help feeling that this particular ball is somehow important to you," I chew my lip. "I can't take it."
"You bet it's important," she grins. "I found it in the woods when I was running from that damned hospital. It helped me pass time while I was waiting for rescue and keep my sanity. It travelled all the way from Kazakhstan with me. I insist you keep it as a farewell gift. Not as a memento somewhere in a drawer, though. Put it to good use! Play with it and wear it out!"
"Okay, I will," I clutch the ball in my hand, grateful. "Actually, we plan to try some aerial games today for the first time."
"What a great debut then," she nods approvingly and runs back inside with a loud laugh.
"We're ready, Your Majesty," Vermiel announces.
I kiss my boyfriend one more time and we take off one after another. We have enough airworthy Celestials to form a proper squadron now. Or should I call it a flock? I'm sure Liana would hate that analogy, Celestials don't like being compared to birds.
Miruel and Vermiel insist we should practice flight formations so we do that for half an hour. Then I lose patience, imbue Emi's ball with a levitation spell so that it won't fall onto someone's head accidentally and throw it with an air thrust as far as I can.
The moment I chase after it, my companions lose their focus on neat formations and can't resist a challenge. We play to our hearts content, flying freely above the whole city and return only when we're totally exhausted. Exhausted but happy.
*****
I'm staring at our luggage the maids prepared for us. It's finally here. Tomorrow, we depart for New York. Liana and Luvi claim they managed to teach me all the basics but I'm still nervous. Our guards are confident that they should be able to protect me even from a direct attack because they mastered spells up to level 10 but I'm still anxious. So many things can go wrong.
"It'll be okay," Erik comforts me, sensing my inner turmoil. "We'll do our best and the rest will work out somehow."
"I don't think I'll be able to fall asleep," I say, shaking a bit.
"I'll gladly exhaust you then," he smirks and pushes me onto our bed.
I submit to him willingly and completely. I finally relax. In times like these, I have no doubts. He's the love of my life.