61.1. For Better or Worse - Part 1

"Calm down, love, you're the Celestial Emperor so being a bit late is fashionable in your case," Gotrid tries to comfort me but he isn't very successful.

"You should have woken me up!" I berate the maids who are dressing me and they aren't making it any quicker than usual.

"You needed to rest, Your Majesty," Cien says with stoic calmness. "How much mana did you spend on your telepathic message last night?"

"Don't take us wrong, it's was blissful," Ayala adds. "We all felt your love, I was so moved. But it must have been strenuous."

"You overdid it again," Erik kisses me on my cheek, returning from the bathroom smelling after his favourite aftershave.

"Oh, Emi is here?!" I realise only now because not being exactly a morning person, I'm usually a bit drowsy and unfocused immediately after waking up.

"The Clawfang Alpha apparently returned at night," Cien confirms. "Who knows where she's been, you have to ask her yourself."

I don't know anything about late fashionable entries but it seems to be working because nobody's outraged that it's half past eight already and I've just showed up for breakfast. The delegates are whispering to each other excitedly when I pass them, no doubt commenting on my new numerous escorts and discussing the murder of my grandmother.

"Good morning, Your Majesty," Liana greets me politely and bows because everyone is watching. "Did you sleep well?"

"Surprisingly so," I nod and sit in the middle as always.

"Would you mind, Gotrid?" Liana asks for his seat by my left and he unwillingly gives it away.

I tell the maids that I'd like some scrambled eggs and toasts while Liana slightly spreads her right wing and touches me.

That was a really nice gesture what you did last night, she says. It boosted our morale to astronomical heights, no kidding.

Thanks, I wanted to encourage everyone. And it felt really good not having to hide my telepathy.

Are you okay? she asks carefully. The guards told me you were crying.

They told you? I resist roll my eyes.

I'm sorry, Aefener, but your mental health is just as important as your physical health, she bite into her pancake in order not to look suspicious. Especially when your jarred emotional state can be very destructive.

I'm not totally okay but I'll get better over time, I assure her. I just need time to process it.

She lowers her wing to give me more space for now. I'm half-way into my eggs when Emi finally appears, being even more fashionably late then I was. I notice that her pack grew significantly compared to the one she brought with her from Europe. For some reason, Rien is feeling nervous and is following his Alpha like a lost puppy.

"Emi!" I wave at her because it wouldn't look dignified if I ran after her.

"Let's meet on the terrace when you finish eating," she winks at me and goes to ravage the buffet tables.

I want to eat faster but I know I can't. It's against the etiquette to gobble food and it could upset my stomach. Emi leaves for the terrace the moment she puts food on her plate. I wish I had that kind of freedom. We're both rulers, yet so different.

"Your Majesty, can I join you?" Bauerova approaches me when I stand up. "You're meeting the Clawfang Alpha, aren't you?"

"Still trying to persuade your nephew?" I tilt my head.

"Yes," she sighs. "Give me one last chance and then I give up."

"Be my guest," I shrug. "Just bear in mind I can't influence anything here. Rien is Emi's competence."

"Noted," she nods and follows me to the terrace.

"Aefener," Emi smiles at me but it's a sad smile. "I heard about your grandmother, my deepest condolences."

"Thank you. I'm so happy you're back, I was worried," I go for a feathery hug.

"I'm here now," she caresses my wings. "Sorry about ditching the conference but I wasn't lazing around either. My people are a lot of work. Some influential local packs started to have their own ideas so I had to show them who's the boss."

"You're hurt," I notice her arm is bandaged. "What happened?"

"Two packs joined and ganged on us yesterday. We won, obviously," she announces proudly.

"Let me, please," I gently grab her arm and apply the best healing spell I'm capable of at the moment. The Earthborn might be much better at curing illnesses, treating chronic diseases, researching rare medical conditions, DNA mutations and things such as cancer but if it's just a matter of mending wounds, Celestial magic is actually the quickest and the most effective.

Again, it's astonishing how different our two races are. Clawfangs aren't afraid to openly challenge their Alpha whereas it wouldn't even cross a mind of any Celestial to question their Emperor. But Emi seems to enjoy a good challenge so it works for her, I guess.

"Thanks, Aefener," she appreciates. "We do naturally heal faster than humans but this is still a huge relief. By the way, I wasn't totally out of the picture. I know that you had a little adventure yesterday."

"Everything is okay now," I assure her.

"I can see that," she looks at my escort. "I also got myself some reinforcements. Oh, and I reconsidered one thing."

"You'll return to Europe with us?" I get hopeful.

"No way," she shakes her head. "But Rien will."

"He will?!" Bauerova who was just listening and waiting for her opportunity shrieks happily.

"Oh?" I look at the person in question curiously. "I thought Rien was up for some adventure?"

"Was," she corrects me. "It turns out he's too intellectual and pampered for a Clawfang. I can't take him for a tour through South America. Frankly, he'd be a burden."

Rien hears what Emi just said and looks panic-stricken.

"However," Emi adds quickly, "he's well-educated, his connection to the Czech Prime Minister is definitely a huge advantage and I'll still need someone to represent me in Europe when I'm absent. He's a Beta material even though he looks like a scared little puppy right now."

"B-Beta material?" Rien almost jumps and his fur puffs. I bet it means a huge compliment among Clawfangs.

"So you name him your second deputy after Gin? An alpha for Europe or something like that?" I'm making sure I understand it.

"Alpha? Don't be ridiculous, males can't become alphas," Emi laughs.

That takes me aback. I've never really thought about the Clawfang hierarchy in detail before. Celestials are totally equal when it comes to genders so I forgot other races have much different social and gender structures. According to the lore, Clawfangs are matriarchal, the Dragonkin patriarchal and as for the Earthborn, it's all about balance with them.

Is it a strange concept for me because I'm a Celestials or because I'm a person of the 22nd century? If Emi assigns Rien to be her deputy in Europe, he'll hold a lot of power so we can't really talk about discrimination but, at the same time, Rien can't become an alpha simply because he's male. I can't wrap my head around it.

How barbaric, Gotrid comments in his thoughts.

I freeze for a second because I caught myself thinking exactly the same. I looked at Emi and for a fleeting moment saw an animal. My Celestial superiority complex just emerged. I'm not afraid of any part of myself anymore so I embrace the feeling but I don't let it take over my rational thinking. Emi is my friend and I have to accept that her race is unlike my own. I can allow myself to disagree while respecting the Clawfang way of living.

"I'd be happy to have Rien in Prague as your representative and I'm sure Mrs Bauerova is overjoyed. Is Rien okay with it, though?" I ask because I suspect Emi just ordered him since that's her style of doing things.

"He came to this conclusion himself actually," she nudges the wolf boy. "A few days in the streets and he changed his mind. He's better off as a politician which is good, Clawfangs desperately need some dependable representatives I can pass my international orders to."

"Oh, David... I mean Rien... your parents will be so happy," Bauerova touches him but he jerks away.

"I'm still a Clawfang, I won't return to their mansion," he says defiantly but he lets his aunt to hug him eventually.

I smile. I'm really glad that Rien just confirmed there are Draconians who aren't battle-obsessed by default. We'll seriously need to occupy all professions and it would be best if people took jobs based on what they want to do, not what is assigned to them.

Then we fly to the conference building. This time it goes without any troubles, only my escort is bigger. Our wings are still sore from yesterday so we try to glide as much as possible and don't take any detours.

I realise I feel comfortable being positioned in the middle of the flock because this way I can feel everyone really well. Liana was afraid to allow so many Celestials get close to me but she didn't have to. I love feeling their Celestial minds, they don't overwhelm me at all. It admittedly is a bit bothersome that I'm being so anxiously guarded but ever since I accepted myself fully, I don't mind it that much.

The day goes surprisingly well. Me and Liana attend the first meeting while my partners go networking and politicians aren't that aggressive with Delgado not attending. I don't have time to feel sad about Grandma because I'm simply too busy.

Fortunately, there wasn't another monster attack overnight and with all race rulers promising to do our best to protect humans, the delegates calmed down a bit. Half of the countries voiced their agreement to be fully protected by us, one fourth stayed undecided for now and only the remaining fourth is in a strong opposition.

When we return to the hotel that evening after an overall successful day, I don't mean to go right to sleep even though I'm quite tired. I decided to stop waiting for the right conditions and just make the most of every little opportunity.

I'll never have my privacy back and I'll probably never have a proper holiday so I need to enjoy my beloved partners whenever I can. Not that Erik and Gotrid are complaining about my decision and they don't even argue with each other when it's time for sex.

It's funny but they're actually afraid I would send them both sleep on the sofa if they didn't cooperate. As if. I think I'm at the point of no return when I wouldn't be able to fall asleep without snuggling to at least one of them. But I don't tell them that.