"Fefnir, I missed you!" I want to go for a hug the moment I see my dear friend enter the office, but I stop myself at the last second. Right, annoying Royal protocol.
"It's good to be back," Fefnir smiles, revealing his spiky dragon teeth. "Erik, Gotrid," he nods at my Consorts.
"Your Majesty, I'm Artisa," a Dragonkin woman with grey and yellow scales bows deeply, but she doesn't prolong it unnecessarily which I appreciate.
I study her. I saw her picture when she applied for the job, of course, but the Dragonkin are much more impressive in person. Artisa is shorter and much leaner than Fefnir and her head horns aren't that big, but I notice strong horns growing on her tail, something that Dragonkin males don't possess. Do females use them to fend against obtrusive suitors?
I'm catching some vibes from Fefnir who feels rather restless next to her. As for Artisa, it's obvious she's annoyed with him and won't hesitate to use her tail to hit him if he tries anything funny. Frankly, the Dragonkin gender dynamics are a mystery to me.
Females make up only 25% of the whole Dragonkin population which wasn't a problem in the game, but it will most probably cause significant problems in near future. I recall Haldis and their unfortunate fate—being rejected by their own people for being non-binary because females are so rare so the Dragonkin see it as a waste.
"It's a pleasure to meet you, Artisa," I greet her. "I'm so glad we finally have all the Ministers present."
"I'd like to start immediately," she says and studies me in return. I wonder what other races think when they see me for the first time, but I can't just touch her to find out. At least I can sense that she's both impressed and a bit intimidated by me.
"Good, you can start with putting together crafting teams," I suggest. "Your people have formed guilds already, but I need you to organise other races as well."
"As you command, Your Majesty," Artisa feels honoured. "It's my job to ensure that Draconian races share their discoveries and trade fairly."
"And mine is to keep Draconians safe," Fefnir says, also proud about his task.
"Artisa, can I ask you to coordinate the Celestial research team first?" I ask. "Don't worry, I told my people to listen to your suggestions and there aren't only Celestials on the team."
"Of course," Artisa smiles. "I can't wait to see your shield technology. Just imagine what we will be able to do if we combine Celestial magic and the Dragonkin crafting techniques."
"The Dragonkin weren't overly cooperative so far," I sigh. "It will be your job to change that. I also ask you to make sure our inventions won't get stolen again. We need to establish proper trade between our races."
"Right," Artisa clicks her tongue. "I'm embarrassed about my liege's behaviour, Your Majesty, believe me. What he did wasn't right, he should have asked you. Moreover, that ring was a gift to Lady Anya from Your Emperorship."
"We didn't approve, but we couldn't go against our Patriarch," Fefnir says, waving his tail guiltily.
"Don't worry, I'm not blaming you two," I shake my head. "Take the rest of the day off to unpack."
"I'd like to meet the Celestial research team right away if that's okay with Your Majesty," Artisa asks carefully, afraid she's overstepping her boundaries.
"Sure, if you wish," I shrug because I don't see any problem with that. "Why the rush, though? Sleep off your jet lag."
"Actually, I want to see my babies," Artisa chuckles.
"Babies?" I tilt my head, confused.
"Namph and Rina," Artisa explains quickly, realising she confused everyone. "I was their mentor ingame when they started playing and, being almost a decade older than them, I somehow ended up being their virtual mamma. It's a running joke and I'm not sure it's understandable for anyone outside our little party."
"Oh, that's cute," I smile, genuinely moved. "I'm glad you can be reunited with them in the real world. Go hug them."
When Fefnir and Artisa leave, I have a sudden urge to kiss my partners and I do exactly that. I'm not embarrassed about it in front of others because I have so little privacy that I would be always waiting for the right opportunity. Seeing Draconians reunited with their ingame friends or making new bonds is heart-warming.
"Not that we don't enjoy it, but you still have to approve the final version of your itinerary," Erik reminds me when I finally lean back.
The itinerary he's talking about is my schedule for Japan. I look at the list, trying to imagine all those places I'm going to visit. Japan might be my homeland, but these names are just words on paper for me, I don't feel any connection to my roots just yet. I can't help wondering how that's going to change in just five days. Will it give me a new sense of direction perhaps?