55.1. Defining Moments - Part 1

I didn't realise how many mental blocks I subconsciously built over the years until I lost them. I perceive everyone's emotions much more sharply than ever before and reach much further. Did I limit my ability on purpose to keep my sanity? I whine because my head is pulsating with a migraine strong as hell. My friends are panicking and their disturbed emotions are making my headache even worse.

Werden and Twyla have both their rooty tentacles connected to my arms and I can feel them evaluating my condition. It seems there's nothing they can do to mitigate my shattering migraine as they have no idea how my telepathy works in the first place. But I appreciate their attempt, I'm really lucky to be surrounded by good friends.

I slowly open my eyes but close them again because the room is too bright. I'm disoriented so I call for my beloved telepathically which is always easier for me and super easy without any blockers. Erik and Gotrid jump to me and push the Earthborn rulers aside. For once, they don't fight with each other.

I connect to them the moment they touch me. Erik was always my lighthouse, my security blanket. And Gotrid as well now. I find refuge in their minds I love so much and that will never overwhelm me even when I'm hurting. How could they? I've accepted them into my mind unconditionally. I gobble their love and give them my love in return.

I feel better after a while so I try opening my eyes again. Someone has adjusted the light so it doesn't sting anymore and my head stopped spinning at least. Erik and Gotrid are leaning over me, their eyes teary. I discover that I'm lying on an outstretched sofa in one of the lounges. All my friends are here, nervous and worried.

"Aefener, are you with us again?" Liana hugs me, not minding that she has to squeeze between Erik and Gotrid. "How are you feeling? What happened? Where you overwhelmed? Oh, I should have let you rest after all!"

"Li, there was a man," I say hoarsely but urgently.

"What man?" she tilts her head. "Are you running a fever? We have to get you to bed."

"No, listen!" I clutch her robe. "A Japanese man, he was standing near to the balcony with that woman who was recording for Ichikawa. I found out that I couldn't read his emotions at all and when he noticed I'm watching him, he attacked me with some kind of telepathic pressure. I wasn't prepared to defend myself so I fainted."

"A Japanese man? Attacking you telepathically?" she gasps for breath. "Can you show me what he looked like?"

I take a deep breath a project a memory of him into her mind as well as Erik's and Gotrid's.

"Aefener, he's Japanese... evidently a telepath... and looks about the right age," she gulps. "Do you think he could be...?"

"My father?" I finish the sentence and a shiver goes down my spine.

"Love," Erik kisses me to calm me down. "Maybe we can still catch him if we notify the security. You've been out only for ten minutes."

"And tell them what? That the Celestial Emperor has been telepathically attacked?" Deminas steps forward. "We have to be smart about it. Everyone in that room saw Aefener going down with a nosebleed without any apparent reason. There will be lots of questions."

"What are you suggesting then?" Emi asks impatiently and her tail is waggling wildly. "That man, father or not, attacked Aefener so he won't be sticking around. And I don't think the Japanese Prime Minister has any idea who that man really is, Aefener would feel if he was lying about the ongoing investigation."

"Ehm, guys?" Erik clears his throat. "Actually, I think that I might be the best person for the job. I'll return to the banquet, calm everyone down by some cover story and try to ask around if anyone might know that man's name. I think it shouldn't be hard to convince Elizabeth and the Czech Prime Minister to help me out a bit."

"Erik, it might be dangerous," I don't like that idea. "What if he's still there and tries to attack you instead? He knows you're my Consort. Everyone does."

"That's why I'll kindly ask Emi to lend me some of her guards," he says firmly. "Clawfang hearing is legendary. They can eavesdrop while protecting me."

"Sure, I'll assign you my best warriors," Emi nods readily. "Aefener, show all of us what that man looked like."

So I do. Emi's Beta Gin almost can't withstand me connecting to him and flinches away immediately but it takes just a second to send one image.

"We're on it then," Erik kisses me one last time but I catch his sleeve when he's about to leave.

"Erik, should something bad happen to you," my voice trembles. "Should you be hurt..."

"Nothing bad will happen to me, I'll have Emi protecting me," he assures me. "Just let me do it, alright? It's high time I finally do something that isn't politics or administration. Obviously, I hate to leave you when you're so vulnerable but I can really make a difference and you have Gotrid now. I'm entrusting you to him."

"Thank you, Erik," Gotrid appreciates. "I'll do my best. You do yours, Royal Consort."

"Take care of the Emperor in my absence, Royal Consort," Erik says and gently squeezes out his hand out of mine.

"What should I tell everyone about what happened?" he looks at Werden and Twyla. "Claiming that Ryuuto has a bad blood pressure won't cut it I'm afraid."

"What about mana imbalance?" Twyla suggests. "We can say that Aefener's mana capacity keeps growing rapidly which makes his mana circuit sometimes unstable. Humans won't have any means to prove it wrong."

"That's actually a bullet-proof idea," Liana agrees, relieved. "Aefener's mana capacity does keep growing rapidly after all."

"It does?" Erik is surprised.

"You can't feel it, Erik, but we can," Gotrid says. "His Majesty's mana capacity is tremendous. Monstruous even."

"Hey," I nudge his arm. "I don't like that word. Erik, be careful!"

"Love you," he smiles at me before he leaves with Emi and her pack.

Gotrid helps me sit and hugs me in his stead. I'm really grateful that I have them both. If I didn't, Erik's plan wouldn't work because he would never leave me when I'm weakened like that.

"Can you please destroy this, Deminas? With fire I mean," Werden hands the Dragonkin Patriarch a bloody handkerchief that was apparently used to stop my nosebleed. "We can't let anyone get a sample of Aefener's DNA."

"No prob," Deminas flushes fire into his hands and the handkerchief is soon just a smouldering trash. And he did all that on his palms! Fire-proof skin for real.

After that, he and Fefnir leave as well. If we want to pretend that nothing serious happened to me, it has to look like it.

"How do we get His Majesty into the hotel?" Gotrid scratches his chin. "He's too weak to fly and going by car in his current state is impossible. It would make his headache even worse."

"I could put him to sleep like I did before when he had a migraine. Deep sleep should help him recover and he won't feel humans in the city when he's sleeping," Werden offers but for some reason that makes me angry, he's talking to Liana, not me. And Liana is nodding?!

Without actually waiting for my answer, he stretches his hands to me.

"N-no!" I protest but Werden's roots are already piercing my skin.

I panic because it seems my protest won't be noticed in time so I instinctively push him back in my mind the way I pushed away my presumed father. I wasn't successful back then but Werden doesn't guard his mind, he simply doesn't have the ability to do so.

And it works. Werden jerks away and releases his tentacles. He gasps for breath and looks at me both exceedingly curious and a bit scared.

"Hey, what the hell?" Gotrid reacts just a second later and envelops me into his wings protectively.

"W-what happened?" Liana blinks.

"He pushed me back," Werden comments and massages his roots. "Not with telekinesis, with telepathy. I was about to connect to his body but I was kicked out. Literally."

"You're not tranquilizing me again!" I retort, my feathers all puffed with anger.

"Sorry, I just wanted to help with your easy transport," Werden murmurs apologetically and gracefully lets Twyla pinch him for that.

"Seriously, Your Excellency?" Gotrid finally confronts Liana, the scary Viceroy he's so afraid of. Well, he isn't anymore. She's just lost some of his respect.

"I know that His Majesty can't decide anything about his own protection but don't you think that tranquilizing him against his will is going totally overboard?" he's furious and annoyed with her.

Liana bites her lip. It seems it didn't occur to her that they were talking about me as if I wasn't even present. She sits on the sofa and lowers her head.

"Sorry, Aefener, I just couldn't stand seeing you hurting so much," she apologises sincerely. "My Celestial instincts kicked in too strongly, I was only thinking about how to make you feel better as quickly as possible and this seemed to be the solution."

"The best way for me to rest is in the minds of my partners. If you took a second to actually ask me, I'd tell you," I hiss.

"I'm really sorry," she repeats and caresses my feathers to make me fully feel that she regrets it. "Still, how are we going to transport you? You're in no shape to fly and the car is out of question."

"Your Excellency, we can try a levitation platform we've been testing," Vermiel who is guarding the door suggests. "It should hold two people without any problems. We can keep casting it during the whole flight and Gotrid can hold His Majesty."

"Okay, let's try that," she agrees quickly in order not to make me mad with her again. "Gotrid, can you carry Aefener?"

I'm worried if Gotrid is going to manage. I might be very skinny so Erik has no problem holding me but Gotrid has a fragile Celestial body. But he lifts me without any issues, supporting my weight nicely with telekinesis. So that's one less thing to worry about. I love being held by my beloved.

I fold my wings as much as possible so that I don't wipe the floor. The guards spread their wings and march with me in their centre so that nosy onlookers can't see me. I can hear Liana talking to Ms Behera in the hall but I don't make out the words and, to be honest, I don't care. My head is killing me right now and only focusing on Gotrid mitigates my suffering.

Gotrid? I send him my thought.

Yes, my Emperor? he isn't startled this time.

I love you, I say simply but convey all my feelings for him.

"Oh," he sighs out and squeezes me closer to his chest. His wings start shaking but he keeps holding me firmly so I'm not afraid of being dropped.

I surprised him but I did tell him yesterday, right? Or... not explicitly? Now that I think about it, maybe I didn't?! Did I just presume he must feel it from me? Again, it turns out that I'm relying on my telepathy way too much. There're certain things that are better said aloud.

"I love you, Gotrid," I whisper into his ear and enjoy how totally flustered he becomes.

It makes me forget momentarily about the dread I just can't shake off—that the man who attacked me really might be my presumed father.