Draconia Offline vol. 2

83.2. My Alien Half - Part 2

"Love, it's half past eight already," Erik is shaking me gently. "We let you sleep in because you looked like it's still midnight for you, but we have a meeting at nine."

I slowly sit up, rubbing my eyes. I feel tired like I didn't sleep at all. Is this because my brain is too active during the night so I can't rest properly? I was okay yesterday, but now it's two nights in a row. I desperately crave coffee.

"Any chance we could reschedule that meeting?" I yawn.

I try to act normal despite the shocking revelation. My father's race is called the Divementis which makes me half-Divementis. My telepathic part has a proper name now. It's confirmed and there's no sugarcoating it—I'm half-alien. How do I tell my partners? How do I tell my subjects? When? Is there such a thing as a suitable opportunity to come out with something like that?

"No chance, the Japanese Minister of Defence is here already," Erik says and narrows his eyes. "Do you feel okay, hon? Should I call Noage?"

"Nah, I'm just a bit drowsy, you interrupted my sleep cycle," I stretch my wings, hoping my voice isn't trembling.

"Are we overwhelming you again?" he bites his lip. "We double-checked it and your itinerary isn't that different from your usual workload. Do you feel under pressure perhaps?"

"It's just this different time zone, my body hasn't fully adjusted yet," I wave my hand to dispel his suspicion.

I wash my face with cold water and let the maids dress me up. That leaves me with only fifteen minutes for breakfast. I'd gladly skip it, but there's no way they would let me.

"Where's coffee?" I ask while quickly gobbling a homemade sandwich because there's no time for a proper Japanese breakfast full-course.

"Dalia is brewing a pot just for you and the Consorts, Your Majesty," Ayala assures me. "Highest quality beans. She will bring it to the meeting since you overslept."

"Does she know that I like...," I start, but Ayala interrupts me.

"She's well aware of how you like your coffee, my Emperor," she laughs, amused. "Everybody who serves you does."

"Won't you ask where Gotrid is?" Erik nudges me and forces me to eat some fruit salad as well. "Not that I don't enjoy having you just for myself."

"He's with Liana," I say between munches. "They are preparing for the afternoon's presentation with Gavreel and argue about what colour the slides should have. They are so pumped up early in the morning. Sorry that I overslept, now it seems the Celestial Emperor is lazy."

I suddenly feel a mixture of disbelief and awe coming from the maids and guards who overheard our conversation.

"What?!" I look up from my salad. "Did I say something wrong?"

"Where should I even start?" Erik sighs, shaking his head resignedly. "You do realise that you know what's happening dozens of metres away from you?"

"Because I'm connected to Gotrid, he's my partner," I don't understand the commotion.

"Hon," Erik performs an exemplary facepalm. "There's a big difference between knowing that you're a telepath and actually seeing you demonstrating it. You have no idea how divine it looks, do you?"

"Ehm...," I hesitate. Maybe I got too comfortable with everyone knowing the truth and not having to hide it anymore. Am I being too casual about it? For all my life, I was desperately hiding it from the world. Well, look at me now.

"And the moment of divinity is gone," Erik bursts laughing.

I frown, confused. Then I noticed that a piece of fruit fell from the spoon on my robe when I was lost in thoughts. I take a napkin, trying to clean it right away, but it was a piece of watery melon and left a huge stain.

"That's good, hon, seeing you clumsy makes you more approachable," Erik can't stop giggling.

"That's not good, Royal Consort, we have five minutes before the meeting starts and we have to change His Majesty's clothes now," Ayala panics.

I'm dragged back into the bedroom and the maids start to browse the closet frantically, trying to find something that fits with my lilac under-robe so that they don't have to start from scratch and save time.

I usually have little need to check myself in the mirror because the maids take care of my daily wardrobe as well as styling my hair. But I have a few moments while waiting for them to decide how to change my royal attire and the mirror is right in front of me.

I stare at my reflection with a bit of apprehension because I'm trying to see the Divementis in me. Ever since my father showed me his true form, I can't unsee it. Humanoid enough, but not human. In my case, Celestial enough, but not fully.

I check my eyes first. My father's eyes are pitch-black, but mine are as Celestial as they get. Beautiful golden colour, perfectly adjusted for flying in the brightest sunlight. Naturally, I also possess a pair of fluffy Celestial wings I love so much. But that's where it ends.

My facial features are totally androgynous and too symmetrical. Soft, but, admittedly, unnervingly inhuman. My body is too sleek for a male and I've always been unable to put on any muscle. My father was right. The world somehow came to terms with that because they are comforting themselves with the wrong assumption that it's how the Celestial Emperor is supposed to look like.

"You're overthinking something again," Erik catches me off-guard and pokes me between my eyebrows.

"Erik, do I look weird?" I ask, chewing my lip.

"What do you mean?" he raises his eyebrows.

"I mean... all Draconians changed tremendously, but Celestials should have retained their previous faces, right?" I explain and hope that my strange question won't make him even more suspicious of my behaviour.

"You mean except for the fact that all Celestials magically got younger and Celestial men lost their beards?" he grins. "Well, you do look slightly different. You got even prettier. I guess it's the silver hair and golden eyes? They really suit you."

"And my face in particular?" I pull his sleeve.

"What's bugging you, Ryuu?" he finally gets serious, a suspicion brewing inside him again.

"I... I think I look scary to humans and maybe even other Draconians," I mumble.

"Really, what's going through that telepathic brain of yours sometimes?" Erik rolls his eyes and symbolically slaps my head. "Who gave you that idea?"

"Nobody, I observe," I clutch his hand. "Please, Erik, answer me honestly."

He's staring at me for a moment, thinking about it. He doesn't want to lie to me, but he doesn't want to hurt my feeling either.

"If anything, it's scary how beautiful you are," he says in the end and caresses my face. "Ryuu, is something wrong? Did somebody tell you something nasty?"

"As if they would have a chance to do that," I shake my head.

"I love you exactly as you are," he smiles at me encouragingly. "But moreover, I love you for who you are."

That confession almost moves me to tears. I hate keeping secrets from him. I want to tell him everything. I want him to hold me and tell me that it's going to be okay and he will protect me from my father and the Divementis. But he can't. Nobody can. There's only one solution—I have to get stronger and not only for myself. I'm determined to do so for the people I love and the future of my race.