66.2. We're Family - Part 2

"Do I look okay?" Gotrid asks nervously.

"Your right sleeve is crooked," I fix it for him. "Calm down, if the Anderles are going it be angry at someone, it will be me. I got Erik into a polyamorous relationship."

"Ehm," Erik clears his throat. "You're panicking, both of you."

"Naturally," Gotrid shrugs. "I need to make a good first impression."

I wanted to book one of those fancy conference rooms we use for our diplomatic guests but Erik refused that idea straight away, arguing they wouldn't feel at ease there. Besides, he wants to show them our new apartment we can finally proudly call home so it was decided we'll eat in our dining room.

"Your Majesty, the Anderles are here," Cien enters the bedroom to announce their arrival. "Lord Gotrid, your feathers are all puffy."

"I know," he cries. "I can't help it, I'm too nervous."

For once, Erik doesn't make any mean remark and even looks at his rival with sympathy.

"Don't worry, my parents are super nice," he makes a rare effort to comfort down. "The worst that can happen is that they won't be thrilled about our polyamorous relationship but I'm an adult and it was my decision. They'll respect that."

That finally calms Gotrid down a bit and his feathers flatten.

You're the best, I send Erik a private thought.

I know, he smirks.

I take Erik's hand, then Gotrid's. I send them both my love and take a bold step. With all of us feeling more courageous, we appear in front of Erik's parents who are waiting for us in the lobby.

"Your Majesty," they bow the moment they see me.

Erik runs to them, hugging them tightly. They hug him back happily and I hope it's a good sign. When they separate, there's silence for a second or two because the Anderles stare at my new partner, studying him literally from head to toe.

"Mr and Mrs Anderle," Gotrid gulps. "It's my pleasure to meet you, my name is Gotrid. Please, call me that, I don't need fancy titles from you."

"Pleasure," it's Mrs Anderle who offers him her handshake first if a bit stiffly.

"And mine," Mr Anderle follows cautiously but there's no distaste in his mind.

To be honest, I get a bit envious. How come Gotrid gets to touch them while I can't? What kind of stupid court rule is that? I want to break it! Badly! But I don't want to scare them so I hold back.

"Lunch should be ready in thirty minutes, let's tour our new apartment!" Erik suggests enthusiastically to avoid another awkward silence.

"Can we?" Mrs Anderle bites her lip, not wanting to intrude.

"Please, you should see where your son lives," I smile encouragingly. "All doors are open to you."

"Let's go then!" Erik pushes his hesitant parents inside.

"Wow, Erik, it's huge!" the Anderles are genuinely impressed by our living room.

"What can I say, I'm dating royalty," he grins boastfully.

I let Erik lead, staying behind with Gotrid while the Anderles are being gradually shown all the rooms, including our bedroom and the walk-in closet. Especially the walk-in closet.

"Your dream came true, you've always wanted one, darling," Mrs Anderle laughs.

By the time they've seen everything, Ayala calls us for lunch. The dining table is nicely decorated for the special occasion and the Anderles are very interested in Celestial chairs. The starter is served, my favourite cheese cream on a biscuit.

And then I realise our huge error. We wanted to impress them so desperately that we forgot we might embarrass them while doing so! The Anderles clearly have no idea which cutlery to use first and are starting to panic.

"Don't worry, I'm still hopeless at it myself," I say quickly, trying to save the situation. "My Viceroy told me a hundred times it's this little thing but I still prefer a normal fork."

To demonstrate, I take a normal-sized fork and eat with that. The Anderles relax and follow my example.

Thanks, Erik sends me a quick thought. We were so stupid, my parents don't know any of this stuff that feels so normal to us now.

"Mr and Mrs Anderle, I need to ask you," I say slowly when the staff brings us soup. "Do you feel safe in your apartment? Is there anything I can do?"

"The media don't bother us as much anymore," Mrs Anderle replies, taking the same spoon I grab. "We're firm about not giving any interviews and they seemed to finally understand that."

"Going outside is a different matter, though," Mr Anderle sighs. "We get way too much attention wherever we go."

"I'd like to assign you Celestial guards as well," I reveal carefully. "I'm sure you heard about my grandmother."

"The news was full of it," Mrs Anderle nods slightly, guessing where this is going. "You think we might be in danger?"

"I want you protected, Erik's family is my family," I clutch Erik's hand on the table. "I totally understand you probably feel suffocated by being guarded all the time but it's for your protection."

"Mom, Dad, what about taking a trip?" Erik suggests. "You've always wanted to visit Bali. We could book you a holiday house on a private beach."

"We still have our jobs, hon," Erik's Mom shakes her head. "You know I love my designing work."

"It would be just a short trip to escape Prague for a while, not permanent relocation" Erik tries to persuade them.

"Let us think about it first," Mr Anderle purses his lips and I gather he's the type of person who hates being pushed into things which I can totally relate to.

We continue with the soup and the room gets quiet again. It's obvious the Anderles aren't sure if talking is permitted when dining with the Emperor so Gotrid takes an initiative.

"I heard you're a software engineer, Mr Anderle," he says politely. "What kind of projects are you engaged in?"

Mr Anderle looks up at him. He's nervous about talking to my new partner but I don't catch any more than that. The Anderles don't hate Gotrid by default just because they might think he's a rival stealing me from their son. They obviously aren't thrilled about polyamory but they came here with their minds open which is all I can ask of them.

"The company I work for makes software for medical equipment," he answers. "It's a demanding but very fulfilling job. What were you doing before the Great Evolution, Lord Gotrid?"

"Just Gotrid, please," Gotrid gives them both his biggest smile I love so much. "I was a manager in an advertising agency. Nothing that would literally save lives like your job but I liked it and was good at it. You've just mentioned that you're a designer, Mrs Anderle?"

"I plan weddings as a freelancer," she reveals and, as an attempted joke, adds: "Maybe I'll design your wedding one day, Your Majesty?"

Gotrid tilts his head, not quite understanding. I do but I'm surprised by how alien that very concept seems to me now. Erik coughs, giving his parents a signal that it's not the right topic for Celestials.

"Y-you don't have...?" Mrs Anderle is taken aback. "I'm sorry to assume... oh, that's so embarrassing. I apologise, Your Majesty."

"That's okay, not many humans know about it," I wave my hand. "Weddings aren't a Celestial tradition."

"So how do you...?" Mr Anderle is brave enough to ask.

"It isn't that different, only there's no official ceremony," I explain. "We do have courtship aerial dances, though."

"Oh, that," the Anderles stare at Gotrid and I have no doubt they saw that video from New York in which Gotrid was blatantly seducing me in the air.

The main course arrives, vegetarian for me and Gotrid, meat for Erik and his parents. I expect to crave their nicely baked fish but my mouth doesn't salivate at the sight of their meal. It seems I've finally overcome that craving. On the contrary, the idea of putting dead flesh in my mouth is downright disgusting. I happily dig into my chickpea salad with baked beetroot and very good salty cheese on top.

We're making small talk between bites, the Anderles tiptoeing around my new partner as the hottest topic.

"Your Majesty, the desserts and coffee will be served in the living room," Ayala announces when we finish eating.

"Brilliant," I appreciate and stand up.

The Anderles quickly stand up as well and I barely resist sighing sadly. There's no such thing as being informal in front of the Emperor even when it's a relaxing Sunday lunch. Only my partners can act informal towards me.

We move to the living room, me sitting in the middle of the sofa with Erik to my right and Gotrid to my left. The Anderles take the armchairs positioned in front of us. The room is pleasantly warm, there's a faint sweet fragrance in the air and quiet ambient music playing. Perfect.

"Mr and Mrs Anderle," I address them in a gentle voice and hope that the fact both Erik and Gotrid started caressing my wings right away isn't too much for them. We need to finally discuss why they decided to visit in the first place.