Draconia Offline vol. 2

87.1. Enough - Part 1

"Tomorrow, His Majesty has to rest," Liana says before I can even open my mouth.

I frown. What gives her the right to answer for me?

"That meeting has to take place today," I insist. "My father might visit my dreams tonight and I need to find out what the Japanese government knows about the Azuchi Group."

"You're still recovering, Your Majesty," Gavreel supports Liana and he's not the only one, everyone is nodding. "It's not good to have an audience with them in your current state."

I take a moment to analyse the mood in the room. It's one of those situations when Celestials think that they can dictate everything to me. Any other time, my order would have to be obeyed without a debate, but not when I'm injured and they are concerned about my health.

Just as I have a blocker that prevents me from using magic against my subjects, they have some kind of releaser that allows them not to follow my orders if they are firmly convinced that it could hurt their embodiment of magic.

I hate feeling weakened and powerless. Ever since I fully accepted to be the Emperor, it became twice as hard for me. It means that I can't be the ruler I need to be. Their overprotectiveness gets in the way once again. I naively thought that we were finally behind that, but apparently not. While I do understand their concern, I have to stand my ground. I came here to apologise for keeping the truth from them, not to have my direct orders questioned.

"Love, we're just worried to let you work so soon after your injury," Gotrid says softly because he can tell that I'm getting pissed.

"Do you mean to tell me that you won't obey my direct order?" I click my tongue and everybody twitches anxiously. It makes me angry that they just won't listen. I hate the fact that protecting me can get in the way of me protecting Draconians. Seriously, I've had enough.

I leak my tremendous mana on purpose to make them respect me. I hate doing it, but I have to. Being the Emperor also means making unpleasant decisions. It also means to put my subjects in their place if they're reluctant to obey. They aren't my equals to question me.

"While I do apologise for keeping things from you, I won't tolerate you preventing me from literally doing my job as the Emperor. I'm your sovereign, not some treasure for you to lock up," I say regally and I don't even have to raise my voice, the room is absolutely quiet.

The Celestials shudder, but Liana is not wavering. She's strongly convinced that she must, first and foremost, protect their embodiment of magic. I admire her determination, but she's wrong in this case. I'm just temporarily weakened, not unable to rule.

I take a deep breath and project my frustrations with them into my mana emanation with an intensity I'd use to oppose my father. Everybody gasps for breath and falls to their knees. I realise that I overdid it when I notice the fear in their eyes. They aren't telepaths, I can't use the same intensity I'd use on the Divementis.

I pull my mind back, a bit scared by what I've just done. I've never used my telepathy as a weapon before. I didn't know that I could. Sure, my father is capable of that, but me? No, I don't want to! Still, it seems that while I can't use my magical powers against Celestials, I can use my Divementis powers. I learned something valuable.

"I came here to apologise for not telling you everything and that takes care of it," I purse my lips. "I'll have an audience with the Prime Minister at three in the afternoon so excuse me for now, I need to rest until then. Erik, Gotrid, can you help me stand up?"

I look at my partners and only now it comes to me that I forgot to exclude them. They are gasping for breath just as everybody else, shaking. I don't feel fear from me, but I did affect them all the same.

"M-my Emperor," Gotrid lets out, his voice trembling.

I clutch my hands. I probably didn't exclude them subconsciously because part of me was angry with them as well for being overprotective, but they didn't deserve a full salve. They've been taking care of me nonstop for three days and it was them who was hurt the most by me hiding the truth.

I'm sorry, I sent them a sincere apology. I had to berate my subjects, but I was being unfair to my partners just now.

Erik manages to stand up, gently slips his arm behind my back and around my wings and pulls me up. He's just as shaken as everyone else, but he doesn't let it interfere with his care. Gotrid quickly joins him, helping with my wings.

That makes me feel twice as bad about it. They are giving me unconditional love all the time and I wasn't even willing to confide to them about my dreamy encounters. Retrospectively, I'm sure that if I explained the situation to them properly, they would still be worried sick, but they would have supported my decision in the end.

Everyone in the throne room is so shocked that nobody stops me from leaving. Only the guards join me automatically, their training kicking in as a reflex. The tension is almost tangible and it makes my head pound.

Erik and Gotrid aren't saying anything on the way to our apartment and I don't force a telepathic connection. We should talk about things properly and I want to talk to them about it, but my headache returns. Noage forbade me to work for a good reason, I know that. The audience with my subjects was very short, but it still managed to exhaust me.

"Rest for now, love," my amazing partners don't mind that our super important conversation will get postponed and let me close my eyes.