32.2. Acknowledged - Part 2

I want to go after him but before I even manage to fold my wings, he's gone. It happened so fast that it takes me a while to process. I was so convinced that Erik can take anything weird I throw at him that I forgot to consider his feelings. His human feelings. Am I a terrible boyfriend? When did I ever stopped to think about Erik's needs? Was I selfish again?

"Are you okay, Aefener?" Emi puts her hand on my shoulder.

"I don't know," I feel my eyes watering but I push the tears in.

"He'll come around," Fefnir says. "He's really resilient... for a human."

I know that he doesn't mean it in a bad way but I sense a hint of contempt. Not for Erik, of course, but for humans in general. This whole time I was afraid of newly emerging racism towards Draconians but it turns out it's we who might become the racist ones. Humans are simply afraid of us so the source of their hatred is fear. But in our case... we could start to see them as inferior to us which is potentially much worse.

"Up you go," Emi kindly helps me stand up. She's my dear friend but it's so different from when Erik is handling me.

"So what should we tell the security? I sense no danger," I say, seated in a chair which is really uncomfortable for Celestials.

"We have to let them keep searching until they find nothing," Fefnir thumbs against the table. "We can't exactly call off the search out of the blue."

"You really became the chief of security? What about... what was her name," I'm trying to remember the name of Liana's human employee I was introduced to the first day we relocated here.

"Diana," Fefnir answers. "We're actually working side by side. I'm pleasantly surprised how easy she feels in my presence. It gives me hope that humans like her, Erik and Mrs Hana exist."

Soft knocking on the door.

"I'm sorry to disturb you but the Prime Minister is on the phone," Anna the administrator says softly but urgently. "She wants to speak with Mr Aefener."

"His Majesty," Emi corrects her a little bit too sharply because the poor lady flinches.

"Of course, with His Majesty," Anna corrects herself quickly and her voice trembles. She's not truly afraid of us but I bet that seeing a room full of Draconians must be an intimidating sight.

"Thanks, we'll take it here," Ingri tries to smile to put her at ease. I notice that her eyes are starting to look unnaturally green. She catches that I'm staring at her face.

"Oh, did you finally notice?" she grins. "I'm trying to manipulate the colour of my irises. My King and Queen told me to start with that before I attempt to change other things."

I want to ask what other things but Anna coughs to remind us there're pressing matters at hand we must deal with. Ingri knows what to do and quickly reconnects the call to the conference room. The Prime Minister Bauerova appears as a hologram in the middle of the table.

"Your Majesty!" she blurts out, not bothering with a greeting. "Thank God you're feeling better, we need your help." Her face is flustered which is so unlike her. I guess it must be really urgent.

"Of course, what's the matter?" I ask apprehensively.

"It happened in Italy," she gulps. "Two Celestials were attacked by a group of fanatical believers. They were just trying to shop for groceries."

My heart skips a beat. Two of my people were assaulted? Million things go through my head at once. Are they okay? Did they defend themselves? And... were those bastards who did it punished? Celestial wrath wakes up within me and I suddenly feel responsible for the safety of my subjects. W-wait a minute! Did I just call them 'subjects' in my head?

"Are they okay?" Emi asks instead of me because I stayed silent for too long.

Bauerova bites her lip. "One of them had their wing broken. But he should recover!"

My stomach turns upside down. I can't even imagine something like that happening to my precious feathered limbs.

"Of course," Bauerova continues slowly. "It didn't end with that. They tried to defend themselves and almost killed the aggressors. When the police tried to apprehend them, several police officers were injured before they finally managed to stun them. There were lots of witnesses so you can imagine what comes next."

"She's right, it's on all broadcasting channels," Ingri confirms, checking on her laptop.

Another knocking on the door, this time not gentle at all.

"Your Majesty!!!" Luviael, my new adjutant, bursts the door open and is absolutely furious.

"I know," I nod grimly.

"This is civil war!" Luviael screams, mad with Celestial wrath.

Her feathers are all puffy and her mana is leaking uncontrollably. Miruel and Vermiel are right behind her and they aren't any calmer.

"Your Majesty, civil war is exactly what we must prevent at all costs!" Bauerova implores me. "The EU government is calling for an emergency meeting as we speak. They asked me to tell you to join. It'll start in an hour."

*****

I sense Erik in the building so I don't panic entirely but his absence unnerves me. I know I became too reliant on him but I can't help it. I have no idea how normal love without telepathy works and I never will. Funny how superheroes in comic books sometimes magically lose their abilities. How does someone lose something that's in their very DNA?

"It'll be okay, Aefener," Emi nudges me and I know that she doesn't mean the international conference that's about to start in just three minutes. Despite her persisting trauma, she became quite fond of Erik.

"Just a second, Your Majesty," Luviael appears behind me with a comb and an intention to fix my hair. I sigh but let her do it.

How come Clawfangs, the Dragonkin and the Earthborn act rather normally around their rulers? I ask Emi in the meanwhile, inconspicuously touching her with my right wing.

Define normally, Emi resists chuckling aloud and is surprisingly good at making her thoughts clear. Every race has a different mentality. My people are annoying clingy towards me but when I order them that I want to be left alone, they let me. I guess they both admire and fear me.

Fear you? I don't understand. But you're such a good and friendly person.

My pheromones are quite menacing, she explains. And I've already badly scratched some Clawfangs who tried to disobey me.

You did?!

Well, I had to. I won't let anyone question my authority as the Supreme Alpha. Fefnir also had to subdue some misbehaving Dragonkin. Only in their case there's no actual fighting but the battle of wills using their Intimidation skill. You Celestials have it easy, everyone just feels your mana and you're done. But your people are so overprotective and doting of you, I'd go crazy in your place. I'm glad that I'm Clawfang and we don't have all that 'our Emperor is godly' culture.

There's nothing godly about me, I frown.

Yeah, right, except there probably is.

I want to sharply oppose to that but Luviael finishes styling my hair and Ingri announces that we go live in thirty seconds. I take a deep breath but, frankly, I feel more nervous about Erik not being by my side than the conference itself, even though, it's probably of historic significance.

The 3D projector materialises a table for a current speaker while Ingri displays the EU parliament hall on the screens of our laptops. That way we can see the overall mood in the parliament and individual speakers as well.

"Your Majesty, I'm glad you feel better so you can be present," a man in his sixties with white hair and an athletic body steps in front of the lectern.

I've never spoken to him directly, Liana did, but it's impossible not to know the face of the president of the European Commission—one of the most powerful people in the EU. That's why I'm twice as shocked that he uses my Draconian title.

"I see that you're confused," the EU President Dwayne Bennett smiles. It seems pretentious but he somehow pulls it off. "That's because we've already voted and recognised Draconian races as distinctive nations. You have your embassy."

"Internationally?" Emi speaks up.

"In the EU for the time being," Bennett specifies. "The UN has yet to take a vote."

We should celebrate, it's a great victory. Yet, I doubt the EU is giving us this status just because they're generous. It was too quick. They're up to something.

"The EU legislation starts applying to you at this very moment," Bennett doesn't beat around the bush. "We're transporting the offenders to your embassy as we speak."

"The offenders?" I blink.

"Those two Celestials who used disproportionate defence," Bennet explains patiently. "I believe you'll discipline them as your culture sees fit and ensure similar incidents won't keep happening."

Oh, so that's what it's all about. They don't know how to deal with our people breaking the law so they would rather give the executive power to us than to be accused of racism and possibly agitate more Draconians against them.

"We're also transferring two dozen Clawfangs who were caught doing various minor offences," the President looks at Emi. "I believe you'll discipline them yourself, Supreme Alpha. After all, it's in your lore, we studied it."

"Indeed, I will," Emi says dryly but politely. I can feel she hates being ordered by a human but she has to keep her act together.

"Mrs Bauerova," Bennett summons the Bohemian Prime Minister whose face appears next to his holographic image. "You have the EU's full support to cooperate with Draconians. After all, their first embassy is in your country."

"Thank you, Mr President," Bauerova nods and only a slight frown on her forehead gives away that she's worried.

"Our delegates are on their way," he continues and his tone is unnaturally even. I'd give everything to feel his emotions right now. "I trust you'll find suitable apartments in your skyscraper to accommodate them?"

Eh... what? Are we going to be under EU's close supervision? Can they even do that in our own embassy? I look at my friends and they're just as shocked about it as me.

"Of course, Mr President," Luviael surprises me because it's her who answers.

"I also want to personally apologise for Mr Bodin's inappropriate behaviour," Bennett says with another forced smile that is supposed to convey his sincerity. "We're sending Ms Ortega you took liking to and we're appointing Mr Dubois as her new colleague. I hope you'll find him more agreeable."

Then we continue for another hour, discussing particular details and planning what needs to be done in the immediate future. We got our embassy, much sooner than we expected, but at the cost of enormous responsibilities that come with it. Basically, the EU doesn't want to be held solely responsible for what happens in their territory so they're trying to throw everything on us—the new official government.

"Uff, that was intense," Ingri sighs tiredly when the conference is finally over and we log off.

"Luvi, you seem to know a lot about international law," I turn to my new adjutant with admiration. I didn't expect her to be so knowledgeable and skilful, she saved me multiple times during the talks because I had no idea how to answer.

"Luvi?" she chuckles.

"Oh, sorry, you don't like it? Luviael then," I apologise for shortening her name.

"No, that's okay, it sounds cute," she allows it and even sounds glad that I gave her a playful nickname. "I studied international law and political sciences. I was actually in the middle of my internship at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs in Switzerland when the Great Evolution started."

"How did you get here? Family problems?" Emi asks curiously.

"Oh no, my family is actually very supportive," she says with pride. "I answered Her Excellency's call for experts in law and was lucky to be chosen."

"I thought you studied literature like me?" I tilt my head.

"Not at all, I just needed some extra credits so I signed for a few interdisciplinary subjects that seemed interesting," she sets things straight. "I guess that's why you didn't recognise me, we had just one series of lectures together a semester ago."

I feel relieved to hear that. If she was my classmates, I'd feel embarrassed for not remembering her face and not bothering to ask for her name. I might be socially clumsy but I'm not that hopeless.

"So," Fefnir coughs. "Our titles are officially recognised and our races are now distinctive nations. At least in the EU."

"Let's hope the UN reaches the same conclusion," Ingri says. "The situation is particularly bad in the States."

Oh, I forgot about Gotrid. Things have been put on hold when I couldn't work. I guess Ingri didn't want to bother me and took all the calls herself.

"Are Gotrid and Gin okay?" I ask.

"They relocated while you were indisposed," Ingri informs me. "Some rich kid who transformed as well offered them refuge in his family's mansion in Washington. The US government isn't as amicable as ours and Draconians can't travel outside the States. They're this close to voting for mandatory registrations of all our people."

I want to call Gotrid and Gin right away but it's too early in the morning for them. I just hope they're okay. The USA has much different political climate from the EU, much more conservative.

"Your Majesty," Luviael addresses me and enjoys that she can use my title now truly officially. "It's time for lunch."

"Gosh, I'm starving," Emi whines, finally breaking the stifling atmosphere.