"Ichikawa-san, Hayashi-san, I'm really sorry that I can't grant you an audience right now, but I'm afraid that I'm too far away," I say to the Japanese Prime Minister and the Minister of Defence through a laptop Taranah is holding in front of them.
"Far away?" they are confused and for a good reason. I'm obviously not somewhere in the clouds above the Celestial embassy flying because my wings are folded and there's a room behind me.
"A lot happened since our last meeting," I say slowly. "I'm in Tokyo right now with my father."
"Tokyo?! And with Haruto Takeda?!" Ichikawa widens his eyes. "How? Where exactly?"
"Nebula headquarters," I reveal because there's no point in hiding it anymore. "I apologise for that. I know that we shouldn't have left Osaka without telling you, but it all happened fast."
"Why telling us so openly?" Hayashi frowns.
"Because my father's race decided to come out of hiding," I proclaim. "These monster attacks aren't random, there's a war that's been going on for two hundred years."
"A war?" Ichikawa and Hayashi look at each other, startled.
"I assure you that Draconians haven't started it," I set the record straight before they get weird ideas. "We're trying to stop it, but we can't do it alone. There's no sugarcoating it so I'll just say it. We need your help."
"Aliens need help... from the Japanese government?" Ichikawa shakes his head in disbelief.
"We need help from humanity to be precise," I correct him. "But you're the first human government we decided to turn to. My father is prepared to tell you everything."
"How can we trust you?" Hayashi narrows his eyes.
"You have no choice," I bet on brutal honestly. "Either you help us win this war or there won't be a future for Draconians and humans alike."
*****
"Well, that was...," Erik is looking for the right words.
"Exactly what they needed to hear," my father finishes the sentence. "Marvellously done, son."
"I hope I haven't overdone it," I sigh and massage my temples. My head is pounding.
"Your Majesties, the shuttle with the Celestial research team is here," Nyx announces when her wristband vibrates.
"I'd better welcome them, they will be nervous among so many Divementis," I slowly stand up. My head spins, but I keep my balance.
"You, my Emperor, are going straight for lunch and then to bed," Noage frowns. "If we don't treat your headache now, it will develop into a migraine and that can incapacitate you for many hours."
"Your doctor is right, it's not worth overstraining yourself on your second day here, son," my father agrees. "A Divementis migraine is a nasty thing that can last for more than twenty hours. It's better to prevent it whenever possible. The Japanese government will need some time to decide how to proceed anyway."
"Your Majesty, that wasn't a polite request, Doctor Noage has the right to order you rest," Liana says strictly.
"Okay, geez," I roll my eyes even though their overprotectiveness is justified this time. "Let me at least greet our research team and assure them that they are safe here. They must be freaking out."
I'm allowed just that and nothing more. The Celestial research team is waiting for us, nervously stepping, looking around with alarm and I can tell that they have their spells ready. They relax only when they see me. I greet Rina, Nestelle, Zetraya and others and let Liana and Soren take over.
I expect my father to go his separate way because Nyx and Sythara stayed at the labs, but he silently accompanies us to our apartment. It gets awkward when the maids serve us a late lunch and he doesn't seem to have any intention of leaving.
"Are you going to watch me eat?" I frown when he sits on the chair in front of me.
"I just want to spend time with you," he says seemingly innocently.
"Eat, love," Erik nudges me.
I start eating obediently, but I keep watching my father. I can't read him, but I can tell he's up to something. Erik and Gotrid try to pretend that the presence of the Divementis Emperor doesn't bother them, but they are as tense as me. He left the Divementis guards outside and we still can't relax.
"You don't trust me," he sighs after a while, saddened.
"What are you doing here, father? I mean, really," I purse my lips.
"I want to try alleviating your pain," he reveals.
"You can do that?" I raise my eyebrows. "How?"
"I can comfort your brain," he explains. "It's a procedure that can be done only with partners or family members. Sadly, your partners aren't telepaths."
"They are doing a great job," I defend them. "It helps me a lot if I can rest in their minds."
"I don't doubt that," he nods at my husbands approvingly. "Still, they aren't telepaths."
I don't answer anything to that and quickly finish my meal. I hope that he takes a hint and finally leaves when I stand up, wish him a good night and head to our bedroom, but he follows me. The Royal Guards and the maids watch it helplessly, not daring to speak up.
"Aefener, please," he pleads. "Let me help you. If I soothe your brain, there's a high chance you will wake up fully refreshed and your headache will be gone entirely."
"No, you're like a void, I hate it," I retort. "Unless you open up to me, I won't let you."
I don't expect him to give in to my request so it astonishes me twice as much when he smiles benevolently and his telepathic imprint lights up. The cold void is gone and I can suddenly feel all kinds of emotions coming from him.
Pain.
Regret.
Sadness.
Careful optimism.
Care.
Love.
I'm staring at him, unable to react for a long moment. Does he feel concerned about me? I thought that he saw me only as an asset the Divementis could use to fight the Enemy. He went for the most brutal test at the New York conference that could kill me. It's hard to believe such a person can genuinely care about me.
"Why bother hiding your emotions when you aren't empaths anyway?" I ask instead to hide my confusion.
"Because it makes us vulnerable," he explains. "We can either hide everything or be hopelessly exposed. We build mental shields around our minds, but we aren't able to distinguish between feelings and thoughts so we lock both."
"So, right now you're exposed?" I make sure I understand it correctly.
"Yes," he answers simply.
"I could... read you?" I gulp, excited about the prospect and afraid at the same time.
"Well, I can still kick you out," he smirks confidently. "The mental shield is our automatic defence mechanism that's always on and we don't even think about. The better the telepath, the more impenetrable. That's why I feel like a void to you, my defences are perfect."
I have so many questions for him, but my brain gives me another surge of pain, reminding me that I should close my eyes and mitigate visual stimuli.
"Son, let me help you," he repeats his offer, this time including the emotions. Care. Care. Care. One can maybe fake thoughts but not feelings. Is it safe to trust him? Ever since I came here, it's getting progressively harder and harder to stay on guard with him. It's as if something deep inside of my Divementis part is prompting me to open up to him whether I like it or not.
"Okay then," I resign. My brain is killing me and I don't have the energy to argue.
Erik and Gotrid give me startled looks because they didn't expect me to agree. I take their hands and pull them to the bedroom. My father follows. I release the maids who would normally change me into a night robe, but I don't want to get undressed in front of my father so I just take the upper embroidered robe off.
I slowly lie down, not sure what to expect. Erik immediately takes the position right in front of me, hugs me and looks at my father defiantly.
"I don't know what you need to soothe my brain, but there's no way I'm letting go of my husband after being reunited with him," I state clearly.
"I don't need much," he assures me, sits behind me and... touches my wings.
I get goosebumps. He touched my wings just an hour ago for the very first time, but a lot was going on so I didn't have time to think about it. I expect to feel repulsed. I want to feel repulsed. I want to shove my repulsion into his face and make him see how much I don't like him. Instead, my wings relax under his touch. My Divementis part takes dominance and I can't help it.
"Aefener, you have to let me in, I'm not forcing entry this time," he says. "This is not training and you're hurting."
"What about Erik?" I worry.
"I won't connect to your partner," he promises.
I don't know how much his word is worth, but his emotions aren't lying. I slowly open my mind, dreading to be invaded by him as I was so many times in a dream state. He enters my mind so gently that it's almost suspicious. Is this calming presence really my father? Is this the real person behind the imperial demeanour my mom fell in love with?
Physically, I'm snuggling to Erik, but I don't pull him in as I usually do. Instead, I take comfort in the mind of my father which is so Divementis. For once, I'm not the one who has to take an active role in a telepathic exchange, so I can relax my brain completely. I don't understand why I trust him. I just do.
I'm sorry that I wasn't there for you, son, he tells me when I'm almost on the verge of sleep. But I am here now.