20.3. Refugees - Part 3

We're busy for the rest of the day so when we finally get to bed, we're totally exhausted. Liana somehow managed to secure beds for everyone but even her huge mansion isn't built to host fifty-three oversleeping guests. Draconians are literally everywhere but the hustle and bustle calms down around midnight.

"Does your head hurt?" Erik snuggles up to me.

"A bit," I say. "But still much less than I would have expected. It seems Draconian minds don't exhaust me so quickly."

"That's good, right?" he tries to cheer me up.

"I'm not sure," I chew my lips. "It's also easier to enter a Draconian mind. I have to constantly watch myself."

"Which I imagine isn't easy when they're constantly grouping around you," Erik is annoyed. "It's much harder to find opportunities to cuddle."

"We can make up for it now," I kiss him hungrily.

We keep it up for a few minutes, both too exhausted for anything wilder.

"By the way, what did they mean by the Royal Consort?" he recalls.

"Hmm... I think it's a term that means a sovereign's partner or something," I ponder.

We look it up on the internet to be sure and find out that it indeed describes a spouse or an official companion of a reigning monarch.

"That's soooo weird," Erik prolongs. "But I guess it also means that I was acknowledged as your boyfriend by Celestials?"

"I think it does," I nod.

"Not that we need anyone's acknowledgement," he grins and kisses me again.

*****

We get a video call from Gin the next morning. Gotrid is finally up and even though he looks pale, he survived the ordeal without significant blood loss. His wings are grey with black patterns and really tiny. Were my wings so small as well when they came out? They sure grow fast.

"So the first batch of refugees arrived at your place," Gotrid ponders. "How are you managing? We're only five in this apartment and we already had some disputes."

"Over what?" I ask.

"Nothing serious, basically nonsense," he assures me. "But it demonstrates how differently we perceive the world now."

"We'll see how it goes here," I say. "Can I ask you to continue your work organising our people in the USA when you recover?"

"Of course, Your Majesty, count on me," he smiles confidently. "I'm in contact with other high-levels from the royal guild and they all want to help. The distance is a bit problematic, though."

"R-right... travelling is dangerous for us," I shiver.

"Another thing is that the government wants to limit our movement," Gin speaks up. "They're talking about registering all Draconians and not letting us pass borders for now. What about the EU?"

"Well, we don't have any borders anymore," I shrug. It's been forty years since states became regions rather than countries.

"Lucky you," Gin hisses. "We could really use Emi here. It doesn't feel fair that two race rulers and two viceroys are at the same place. With Deminas in Russia and Twyla with Werden being from Brazil, we don't have anyone in the US except for me."

I try to remember what I know about the Earthborn viceroys who are also a couple. Everything is so yin-yang with their race. I think they're from Asia but I'm not sure which countries. Ingri will certainly know, I have to ask her and get to know them soon.

"Aefener, be really careful in your next videos," Gotrid says, his face serious. "People are becoming really paranoid, especially in the States, and you doing miraculous spells isn't helping to put them at ease."

"I didn't know I was being filmed," I say apologetically. "Still, I'll be more cautious next time."

"But otherwise I love watching you, My Emperor," Gotrid produces a broad smile and his tone is flirty. "You're so cute all the time. I mean... magnificent," he corrects himself even though he really meant the original word.

Erik coughs so suddenly that I almost jump. I forgot for a minute that he was in the room with me, working on his own laptop nearby.

"Staying in touch, bye," I end the call abruptly but give Gotrid and Gin space to say their goodbyes as well.

"He's openly flirting with you," Erik rolls his eyes. "And something tells me he's always like that. Doesn't he know you're taken?"

"He's only teasing me," I assure him. "Does it bother you?"

I study his face and emotions. I feel a hint of jealousy but I've always known that he's a possessive type. Not in an unhealthy way but he has that tendency in him.

"And if I told you it does?" he says, trying to stay calm because he realises too well that I feel everything.

"I can tell him to stop. He's not serious but I don't want you to feel uncomfortable."

"That's the problem Ryuuto," he sighs and closes his laptop. "He is and he's doing it in spite of me."

"What?" I blink, confused.

Erik gets up and sits on a sofa next to me.

"My cute telepath," he hugs me. "You're so used to feeling other people's emotions that when you can't, you're blinded and don't know how to act."

I think about it for a moment. Erik might have a point. If Gotrid was flirting with me in person and I could perceive his intentions, I doubt I would take it so lightly.

Damn, Erik's right, absolutely right. I rely on my telepathy too much. I've never learnt to properly read body language and catch slight nuances in one's tone because I've never needed it. Although my ability was blocked while gaming, social skills aren't taken so seriously in VR because avatars still have a way to go when manifesting subtle things so people are used to saying everything directly without subtext there. No such luck in the real world.

*****

We continue to be extremely busy the following days. I can't relax much because the moment I step out of our room, Celestials are all over me again, begging me to teach them. Emi is in a similar position but, unlike me, she seems to enjoy it. I'm glad that it takes her mind off her traumatic experience. I have to admire her people skills, she's just natural. And Clawfangs love her.

Fefnir, being the viceroy, is also respected by his race but the Dragonkin have a very reserved attitude towards showing it. One just has to appreciate their calmness when everything around is so hectic. Liana was forced to order rations for our newcomers and they were very happy to help the staff with carrying heavy boxes.

The Earthborn are spending most of the time in the garden either sunbathing or training connecting to nature. Liana is happy that they aren't in the way but they aren't that eager to help, being too busy doing... whatever the Earthborn like doing.

When we arrive to the dining room for breakfast, we find Liana bewildered and furious. Emi tries to calm her down but it's no use.

"Four Clawfangs sneaked out during the night," she tells us. "I don't know what got into them but they scratched a few trees in the garden. The Earthborn can now train their plant restoration skills at least but still... I kindly took them in and they damaged my property!"

Her fury is righteous. Real greenery is rare and trees in Liana's garden must be over a hundred years old. No wonder the Earthborn coming from cities are so mesmerised by them. It's not common to live in the countryside these days, Ingri's family is an exception.

"I've already scolded them," Emi pleads. "They were just nervous because of the new environment and had to let off some steam."

Suddenly, we hear something breaking.

"What now!" Liana grunts and we run to the sound's origin.

"I'm so sorry, Your Excellency," it's one of the Celestials and she looks like she's going to cry. There's an expensive looking vase on the ground, shattered. "My telekinesis went out of control."

"Oh, no, I've just cleaned that area!" a maid is stricken when she finds that someone, an Earthborn no doubt, left muddy footprints on the otherwise pristine floor.

"It's been only three days and I've had enough," Liana hisses. "And I've just got a message that more people are planning to come. I want to help them but they can't stay here."

"What do you propose?" I ask.

"We need a proper building for this kind of purpose... and put everyone to work," she says. "Part of the problem is that they're bored."

"But how do we do that?" I'm lost.

"You mean how do I do that," Liana sighs. "Aefener, Emi, can you keep our visitors occupied until I sort it out somehow?"

"Sure," we nod.

"But still, don't you need help?" Erik is doubtful.

"Nah, I just have to make lots of phone calls and arrangements," she shakes her head. "You'll help me best if you make sure nobody comes to bother me while I'm working on it."

I feel bad leaving it to Liana alone but she has a point. While I might be a celebrity, there's no way I could secure us a building.

"We're so lucky to have her," Emi says when Liana disappears with Hana.

"Yes, we are," I second.

*****

We do our best keeping everyone from bothering our benefactor by more training. After several attempts, the Earthborn did succeed in restoring Liana's trees which made a huge impression on the gardeners.

"Most transformed lost their jobs but we might find other ways," Fefnir comments. "For instance, if the Earthborn are able to restore nature on a bigger scale, they could reverse ecological disasters."

"That would be invaluable," Ingri nods enthusiastically.

"Still," Fefnir scratches his scaly chin. "Do we have to prove ourselves to humans by being useful to them?"

"For now, I'm afraid the answer is yes," I sigh.

My innocent video with multi-casting was a bigger deal than everyone had anticipated. I watched a discussion this morning in which experts were analysing the footage and they were really afraid. If I can do this much with level 1 spells, what about level 80?

"Ryuu," Erik caresses my left wing. "It'll be okay."

"Do you read each other's minds all the time?" Ingri is curious.

"When we're touching," I nod. "Erik doesn't exhaust me. On the contrary, he sooths me. Where's Emi by the way?"

"She run off somewhere with her pack again," Fefnir shrugs. "It's impossible to keep them in line, the security is desperate. They do listen to Emi but she's as wild as the rest of them."

"At least she's making herself and them occupied," I say. "She won't let me touch her. I think she doesn't want us to know how she's coping."

"But you can feel her emotions, right?" Ingri nudges me.

"Well... she's okay among her kind," I'm uncertain. "But she still can't stand humans. Erik is the only one she is somehow able to tolerate."

My phone beeps. I take it out of the pocket.

Liana (10:35)

Come to the study, I think I found us a building.