66.1. We're Family - Part 1

"Yes, it's true, I'm coming," I confirm but I'm not particularly happy about it. I want to visit my homeland, I really do, but I don't want to be forced into it like this. Unfortunately, there's no other way. Japanese Celestials were preparing to leave and only my coming over could stop them.

"That's the most wonderful news, Your Majesty!" Gavreel celebrates and Celestials squeezing into the camera's scope around him are also overjoyed.

Gavreel is a Celestial in his late thirties with grey wings and long blond hair who's been acting as my sort-of deputy for Japan. I haven't had many opportunities to deal with him personally, it's been Liana's job up to this point, and I also don't know him that well from the game because he belonged to a different guild.

But he has a great resumé with twelve-year experience in salesforce so we decided to appoint him our future Minister of Commerce. He was actually the only Japanese Celestial who was directly invited to join our inner government. Little did we know back then he intended to bring all Japanese Celestials with him.

"We'll start to prepare for your arrival right away," Gavreel continues enthusiastically. "Forget about booking a hotel, you're staying with us!"

"Do you have proper accommodation for our Emperor?" Liana interferes, frowning. "It has to be a secure area, a random apartment won't do."

"One of us is offering her mansion in Osaka," Gavreel boasts. "It's perfect. We'll secure it beforehand so you don't have to worry, Your Excellency."

"Seriously, how many more players are millionaires? What are the odds?" Erik grumbles.

"Sunako-chan isn't a millionaire, Royal Consort," Gavreel sets the record straight, unperturbed by Erik's rudeness. "True, her family has noble origins reaching to the first shogunate but they are nowhere near our Viceroy's level. In their case, it's more about keeping tradition than wealth."

"Chan?" I get curious about the name suffix because the Japanese language usually uses it for children.

"She's only twelve," he explains quickly.

"Wasn't the game 16+?" Erik narrows his eyes.

"Poor Suu-chan used to be bedridden so she got an exception. She actually spent most of her life in VR," Gavreel reveals. "But the transformation healed her completely, it was a miracle."

"The transformation healed her?" I widen my eyes, pleasantly shocked.

"You didn't hear about it from the media because her family kept it secret. Anyway, Sunako-chan is really looking forward to meeting you, Your Majesty" Gavreel smiles. "You should have seen her when she flew for the first time considering she couldn't even walk before."

"But Osaka is too far from Tokyo," Liana opposes.

"So what?" Gavreel shrugs. "His Majesty will be crossing the globe, surely the Prime Minister can travel to Osaka."

"He's right, let Ichikawa come to us," Gotrid agrees. "We should make it look like our Emperor is benevolent, not compliant."

"Okay, send us the blueprints of the mansion," Liana concedes.

"It'll be much safer than a hotel," Gavreel assures us. "Oh, Your Majesty, we're so looking forward to your arrival. You have no idea how isolated we feel without you. I know that you're from Prague and an EU citizen but there're more Celestials living in Asia than in Europe. If you'd only consider moving your headquarters to Japan, we'd take care of everything."

"Ehm...," I don't know how to instantly respond to that, the sudden proposition caught me off-guard.

"That's not the topic right now," Liana clicks her tongue.

"You're right, it isn't," Gavreel admits but I have a feeling he'll bring it up again.

"Start preparing for His Majesty's arrival, I want detailed reports every day," my Viceroy summarises and ends the phone call.

"Seriously, can you believe this guy?" Gotrid rants. "It's not up to him to even suggest such things. Whether we move in future or not is your decision entirely, love."

"It is?" I blink.

"Of course," Liana rolls her eyes. "Do you think I'd bother securing us a building in Prague if it wasn't your wish to set our headquarters here? It would have been much easier for me to vacate one of my facilities in Berlin."

I must have been staring at her for too long because Erik pokes me.

"The mighty Emperor or not, you're still so cutely slow in these things, hon," he laughs. "Don't feel pushed into the corner by the Japanese, they can't make you do anything."

"O-okay," I nod hesitantly.

"You're too kind, my Emperor," Gotrid melts and feels the urgency to kiss me on the spot. So he does.

I expect Liana to sigh at us because she's the type who hates open romance advances at the workplace but she just waves her hand and continues with work. There's a lot of stuff we need to process before we can even think of going to Japan.

*****

"Ryuu?" Erik sits next to me on the sofa while I'm sipping tea and actually relaxing. "Sorry, are you reading?"

"Trying to," I look up at him from my book. "I wanted to read this volume for months now."

"Just a quick question then," he says. "My parents would like to visit, can I invite them on Sunday? I asked Luviael and she's willing to clear our schedule."

"Oh," I bookmark the book. "They know about Gotrid, right?"

"The whole world knows, honey. You're the only openly polyamorous statesperson," Gotrid reminds me.

"Of course, they can come," I nod. "What about lunch? Last time it was only coffee, I want to impress them."

"As if your mere presence wasn't impressing enough," he shakes his head, amused. "I just hope Gotrid will behave."

"Talking about me?" Gotrid appears, smelling of soap and his wings still a bit wet.

"My parents are coming this Sunday," Erik announces rather dryly.

"Really? Nice!" Gotrid celebrates. "Am I invited as well? I'm dying to meet them."

"Well," Erik bites his lip. "I'm afraid it would be only appropriate considering we're literally sharing a bed. Besides, they told me explicitly that they wish to meet you."

"A bed with our lovely Emperor between as a divider," Gotrid jokes but then he becomes more serious. "Do you think they will accept me? A lot of people who are totally okay with gay stuff aren't fine with polyamory."

"That remains to be seen but I think they'll be okay in the end," Erik shrugs. "Concerned how it will work out for us, sure, but they never meddled in my affairs."

"Ehm!" I cough. "I was actually reading before you two came."

"We should give you some space," Erik agrees.

"Anyway, I don't want you to have me as your 24/7 job you can't quit," I murmur.

"You're not a job, silly," Erik shakes his head and leans in to kiss me. "But I'd appreciate hitting the gym, you're right. You're lucky that Celestials are totally fine with just flying and that's it when it comes to exercise."

"I don't want to leave my Emperor, I didn't have nearly as much time with him as you did, Erik," Gotrid frowns.

"Then stay but respect that Ryuu wants to read," Erik purses his lips and gets up. "I won't freak out leaving you alone with him, I'm beyond petty jealousy."

I feel a burst of admiration towards him. Erik was always an amazing person, his only flaw was jealousy. But he's overcoming that willingly, just how amazing is my partner?

"Ryuu, your emotions are leaking out again," Erik warns me.

"Oh, dammit," I take a deep breath to calm down.

"So it wasn't a one-time thing when we had sex? You're able to project not only your thoughts but also your emotions now?" Gotrid is curious.

"Ryuu was always able to do it. Once he got really angry at me and Liana for restricting him too much and let us feel his anger," Erik recalls.

"The problem is I'm not able to control it," I sigh.

"Yet," Erik emphasises. "You'll get the hang of it, I'm sure. Ok, I'm off to the gym then."

When Erik leaves, I realise this is the first time I'm left completely alone with Gotrid. Not counting the guards, naturally. I half-expect him to take an advantage of that but he's sitting patiently at the other end of our huge sofa.

"Didn't you want to read?" he smiles at me. "Go on, I won't disturb you. I'd love to pet your feathers if you allow me, though."

"Okay then," I spread my wings and look down at my book again.

It's the fourth volume of the series I really liked before the Great Evolution. I remember looking forward to the next instalment. It's comforting to discover that I still enjoy the same hobbies.

I get through a paragraph when Gotrid's hands find my feathers. It's pleasant but a little distracting. I can't help not perceiving Gotrid's emotions but at least I can block catching his thoughts. A few pages into reading I finally relax. Gotrid is craving to touch me but he stays quiet while doing so, respecting that I wish to read.

It's the little mundane things I miss so dearly. The things I haven't had any time to do ever since becoming the Emperor like simply reading a book and chilling. With the situation in the world not calming down anytime soon, I have to take whatever I can get—tiny chunks of leisure time between now and then.