31.3. Royal Quarters - Part 3

"I'm sorry but I have to say it. Liana, you dumb!" I berate my Viceroy.

"Uhm," she whines, not able to defend herself and not even wanting to because she knows that my anger is justified.

She's lying in her bed, curled underneath a blanket, her black wings poking out.

"Passed out!" I continue berating her. "What were you thinking coming to work when you weren't feeling well?"

"I thought that I can manage somehow," she mumbles and whines again because I pull one of her feathers.

I shake my head and look at Julia. She just shrugs and sighs theatrically. There's no fixing our always overworking Liana.

"It's because the others are still working," she finally manages to come up with an excuse.

"The others aren't Celestials," I remind her.

It's been six days after the growth of my wings started accelerating and the transformation of the rest of Draconians began to speed up as well. People whose previous VR compatibility was high have it very turbulent again while those with lower levels more gradual. But overall most people are, fortunately, copying quite well. It's only high-level Celestials who are really struggling and have to be taken care of.

"How come she doesn't have to in the infirmary?" I realise that Dr Stein didn't insist on that in Liana's case.

"Because she doesn't have any difficulties breathing," Julia says.

I frown. Why do I always have it worst? Fefnir seems totally fine, Emi just complains a bit that her feet are hurting and she can't run as fast and Ingri is totally fine.

"Soo sleepy," Liana suddenly yawns.

"Right, let her rest, Ryuu," Erik nods. "Mrs Hana will take care of her."

"N-no, don't go," Liana surprises me by catching my sleeve. It seems she's done with being brave, at least in front of us. We're the lucky few who see her vulnerable part. The part she's hiding from the world for which she's the Laura Richter there's no messing with.

I don't want to stay with humans only, she sends me a desperate thought. I know that it's irrational—Hana is my trustworthy housekeeper—but... I just...

I know. Don't worry, I'll stay then, I assure her, honoured that she trusts me so much.

"Erik, let's stay a little longer," I say aloud. "Liana doesn't have an amazing boyfriend who would stay with her no matter what. Hana is great but she won't... you know... she's not Celestial."

Erik sighs because he was hoping to have me for himself today but he understands. Besides, he knows perfectly well that there's no ulterior motive between us. Liana is my best friend and my Viceroy.

She's might not be my lover but I realise my love for her isn't any smaller than for Erik. My bond with her was growing stronger and stronger without me noticing until it got to the point it's become unbreakable. A bond of friendship so strong I'd have never thought it possible. A bond of Celestial friendship that goes beyond any human emotion.

"Ouch," Liana cries and her wings cringe in a spasm.

I don't have to think about what is the right thing to do. I lie down beside her, cover her with my right wing and hug her tight. I try to alleviate her pain and I'm surprised how easy it is. I connect to her fully, the way I do with Erik. A bit differently, of course, but fully for the first time.

Her mind is open and she willingly lets me in. And I finally discover how it feels like to rest in a mind of another Celestial. A mind that's like my own.

*****

"What do you mean it's gone?"

"Just gone... missing..."

"From your drawer that was supposed to be locked?"

I reluctantly open my eyes. Fortunately, Liana is sleeping deeply due to my attempts to soothe her so she hasn't woken up.

"You're too loud!" I complain. "Take it outside!"

"Ryuu," Erik caresses my left wing. "Your feather is missing."

"Eh?"

"I locked it in the drawer in my office," Julia leans over Liana and takes her temperature. "But it's gone since this morning and the lock is broken."

"Why would someone steal my feather?" I frown and finally sit up. "Didn't the security see anything?"

"Most of the security is focused to this floor now that both you Liana are here," Erik says. "But they're looking into the security footage as we speak. Hopefully, we should know something soon."

"Hmm, is it such a huge deal?" I ask because I can feel that both Erik and Julia are too aggravated. "It's just one feather and every Celestial has thousands of them."

"It means that someone actually managed to breach our security," Erik answers rather irritably.

"And potentially take it for DNA testing," Julia adds darkly and finishes checking on sleeping Liana. "The base of Celestial feathers, calamus, does provide enough for a DNA sample."

That takes me aback. I haven't realised that my feather would contain my DNA or I would never give it away.

"Can they discover that my DNA is different somehow...?" I gulp.

"Hard to say," Julia shrugs. "The scientists have yet to fully sequence the DNA of new races."

"EXCUSE ME!" Fefnir bursts into the bedroom and he's so noisy while doing so that I have to try hard to keep Liana sleeping with my telepathy. She needs rest, desperately.

My first reaction is to scold him but I'm shocked by the change he's gone through in that past week I haven't really seen him. His skin was completely covered with scales before but they seem even tougher now, like nothing could ever harm him. Could he be bulletproof now?

His horns are growing rapidly and make Fefnir look truly formidable but the biggest and the most noticeable change are his legs. These just aren't human legs anymore. And he isn't wearing any shoes as he probably doesn't need them anymore and none would fit his enormous clawed feet anyway.

Fefnir catches that I'm staring at him but this time he doesn't offer a cheeky grin. He looks dead tired, probably both from overworking and exhausted by the speed his body is changing. But he's holding up fine—exemplary Dragonkin resilience.

"Sorry, Aefener, but can you work now?" he says without any greeting. Even his voice is a bit different. Lower. Inhumanely hoarse. "We could really use your help. We just can't be missing two Celestial rulers, your race is in total disarray and the EU delegates don't want to start another diplomatic session without at least one of you present."

"I think I can... with Erik's help," I say quickly because I can tell Julia disapproves and is about to voice her opinion.

"Great, let's go!"

"Ten minutes, Esteemed Viceroy," Luviael, my new adjutant, has to forcefully squeeze to the front because Fefnir is taking a lot of space. "His Majesty isn't dressed properly."

"What are you waiting for then?" he clicks his tongue and even that sounds completely dragon-like.

Erik looks at me and I look at him. He doesn't have to be a telepath to be able to guess that when our phlegmatic friend is nervous, something must be seriously wrong.

I want to try walking on my own, I do feel quite good after the nap, but the moment I step on the carpet and want to stand up, I'm surprised by the sudden increased weight of my much bigger wings and wobble. Erik catches me immediately so I don't end up on the ground but I don't manage to fold my wings on time so my feathers are everywhere.

"Uh, s-sorry," I mumble because I brush everyone in my vicinity. "I still can't get used to how big they are now."

"Don't be, I was rushing you too much," Fefnir forces himself to calm down and gently pulls my wings up while Erik is trying to somehow get me into his arms. I can't help admiring how the Dragonkin are able to control their emotions like that.

"Celestials... totally cumbersome," Erik jokes when he finally manages to collect me.

"Julia, will you...?" I look at the doctor.

"Of course," Dr Stein nods. "I won't leave Her Excellency's side. Don't worry, Your Majesty."

The sudden change in how she's addressing us feels unnatural but I'm the only one who feels that way. Erik doesn't even notice it because he's too busy holding me and the others think it's normal. I guess Julia has to call Liana politely like that because my Viceroy hates being addressed by her human name but why did she switch it with me as well? I thought we're on familiar speaking terms.

But I don't have time to ponder, it takes just a minute to transport me from Liana's apartment to ours and before I even manage to open my mouth, Luviael and one other Celestial woman I saw arranging things around the apartment are suddenly dressing me. Erik is shocked as well because he's pushed aside. Fefnir nods at him, tells him something I can't hear and they disappear behind the door.

"S-stop, I-can-do-it-myself!" I protest, cutting every word.

But they don't listen and keep stretching my limbs as they need them for the robe. It's impossible to ignore how eagerly they're touching my huge wings—caressing them, thinking I won't notice their hands linger there for far too long. They even do my hair, carefully arranging a hairpin. Oh, so my hair is long enough for it now?

"You're so beautiful, Your Majesty," they flatter my when their work is done. "Ready to rule."

I puff but that's pretty much all I can do. When Erik comes back, it's evident that he's still irritated that some strangers were touching me but he has to admit that he'd be never able to dress me so quickly and do my hair on top.

I fold my wings properly, adjusting for a minute to their new weight. I catch my reflection in the mirror that's attached to the wardrobe and they look even bigger than they feel. For such a thin person, I'm starting to take a lot of space.

"Can you just hold me steady?" I ask Erik. "I think I can walk by myself if you support me. I don't want to vacate the halls again because I'm coming through. I really do feel much stronger today and I need some exercise."

"Sure," he nods and offers me his arm. With the help, I'm able to slowly walk just fine.

However, we don't even reach the end of the corridor when Fefnir stops us and is frantically talking to someone on the phone. He's getting more and more anxious by each passing second and just as I'm about to ask him what's wrong, the elevator opens and Emi jumps out.

She's also undergone a significant change, especially her legs that are becoming truly animal-like. She's not wearing shoes either.

"Emi, what...?" Erik frowns because the Clawfang Alpha is hissing angrily.

"Intruders got in!" she exclaims and her fur is standing. "Some bastards pretended that they're the catering service, forged the clearance and all. We noticed too late, let them in and now we have no idea where they are!"

"You think they're here to hurt us?" my heart skips a beat.

"What else," Emi grunts. "Aefener, we need your...," she stops herself in time. They're too many people around us who don't know my secret.

"R-right," I nod tensely.

Of course, they need a telepath. Luckily, they have one. I can finally be useful.