Draconia Offline vol. 2

95.2. A Family Dinner - Part 2

The building they lead us to looks quite different from other residential houses. This isn't a remodelled office building but a proper apartment complex and luxurious on top. I bet that only the most prominent Divementis officials live here. We enter the elevator and our escort takes us to the highest floors.

"Welcome," my father is waiting for us already at the entrance. He also changed his robe to a more informal one. "Please, follow me."

We try not to stare, but it's impossible. While the furniture is mostly human, there are many distinctly alien things all around from technology to art. In the case of some objects, I can't even begin to speculate about their purpose.

The dining room is quite normal, though. I guess there's nothing a humanoid race would change about a table and chairs. I'm relieved to see that three chairs are Celestial-friendly. Nyx is waiting for us and there are two Divementis I haven't seen before nervously standing next to her.

I realise that I can recognise a certain unmistakable resemblance. Those two do look similar to Nyx and are much younger so she must be their mother. I also realise that I can easily tell their genders. It's very subtle, but they are a boy and a girl. I wonder how old they are. Maybe the same age as me?

I give them an inquisitive look and I suddenly feel them panicking and hastily fortifying their minds. Why are they so anxious? It should be us feeling nervous. We might have six guards with us, but we are at the mercy of the Divementis here.

"Son, what did I tell you about your telepathic pressure?" my father raises his eyebrow.

"I didn't do anything," I oppose.

"You send out your mind on reflex," he sighs. "That habit will be difficult to break."

"Not now, Althorion," Nyx coughs to change the subject. "Your Majesty, this is my daughter Nala and my son Advin. I was told that you know already that I'm actually your aunt. That makes my children your cousins."

"Hello," I try to smile amicably at Nala and Advin, but they are still looking at me as if I'm going to invade their minds. I feel like I haven't made the best first impression.

"Let's sit," my father says and sits down first. Nyx sits right next to him and her children take the sides.

We don't have much choice about the seating order because there's only one non-Celestial chair at our side of the table and that's reserved for Erik. Erik ends up sitting to my right, Gotrid to my left and Liana next to Erik. It seems my father wanted to make sure that I sat right in front of him.

"I don't know how the Divementis address their aunts," I start politely. "Also, can you please stop using honorifics with me?"

"We use the word atea," Nyx smiles, "but you can keep calling me Nyx. As for dropping honorifics, I'm afraid that I can't do that. Only most direct relatives or spouses can call the members of the Royal bloodline informally. Besides, Your Majesty is also the Celestial Emperor."

"So, you can address my father by his name, but not me—his son?" I can't believe my ears. What kind of messed up hierarchy is that?

"If I'm not mistaken about how it works among Celestials, only your Consorts are allowed to be on a first-name basis with Your Majesty," she answers patiently. "That's not any different from our tradition."

"But you're my aunt, it's weird," I say desperately.

"Ehm, love?" Gotrid pulls my sleeve and I feel that both of my partners and Liana panicked for a second. "You didn't say that last sentence in English."

"What?" I look at him, confused. "What do you mean?"

"You used our language just now," my father explains sharply and there's a hint of satisfaction in his voice. "I guess your brain is trying to subconsciously wire itself towards us."