74.3. What Matters - Part 3

I feel well-rested when I wake up which means that I must have been sleeping for several hours instead of the light nap I was intending. I rub my eyes and look around. The lights are dimmed and my partners are soundly sleeping next to me. It's night already.

I search for Liana with my mind and discover that she's asleep as well. That's highly unusual for her, but then I count how many hours have passed since the attacks and realise nobody can stay awake for that long. Even in crisis, generals and politicians have to sleep sometimes.

My throat is dry and my stomach rumbles loudly. My body demands to be fed again because my mana circuit is working tirelessly on replenishing my energy. I don't feel like sleeping more and the hunger is urgent, so I decide to get up. I slowly move between Erik and Gotrid, not wanting to wake them up. They didn't have time to rest properly at all, always taking care of me.

I kiss them on their foreheads, touching their sleeping minds and trying to give them some pleasant feelings that will hopefully project into their dreams. I also soothe them so that they won't wake up when I carefully slip from their embrace.

A good night's sleep healed my headache and I feel much stronger. I try standing up and my legs hold me. A slow walk with frequent rests is the best I can do right now, but I'm mobile again and that gives me a reason to celebrate. I fold my wings and open the curtain surrounding our bed.

Four guards are positioned in the room, two standing by the door, and two by the window. I knew that, but it still makes me uneasy. Guards in our bedroom—the room that is supposed to be our only private space, the only one that's left. I hope it's just an emergency measure for now or I swear I'll make an unsightly scene to Liana and the Guard Captains.

"Your Majesty...?" the guards on night duty are startled by my sudden appearance from behind the curtain.

"I'm hungry," I announce simply. "Let my Consorts sleep, they need to rest."

They want to offer me support because they can see I'm hardly walking, only a second later realising they don't have permission to touch me. They can't even touch the person they are protecting, how messed up is that? I feel like the Emperor through and through now, yet these things still unnerve me. Will I ever get used to it?

"Just open the door," I sigh.

The guards in the lobby are even more surprised and immediately call for the maids before I can stop them. I sigh again. I didn't want them to wake up Cien and Ayala, they deserve to rest as well. However, it's not them who come to serve me. Two new faces wearing the same maid uniforms appear. These girls are young, too damn young. Did they even finish high school? They look the same age as Ingri.

"And you are...?" I tilt my head, confused because nobody told me I would be getting new maids. Not that I'm surprised, I'm never consulted when it comes to the Royal Quarters and my well-being and I pretty much gave up on that.

"My name is Yrienne, Your Majesty," a girl with brown skin, green eyes, long wavy hair and hazelnut wings with white speckles introduces herself with a deep bow.

"And I'm Kaileen, Your Majesty," a second girl with Asian features, a blue pixie haircut and grey wings, follows.

I study their faces. I've never seen them before, but their telepathic imprints seem vaguely familiar. I bet they came from the States after the conference and they were in the flock with Soren. The girls get nervous because I'm not saying anything and are staring at me with total devotion. They are overjoyed just to be in my presence.

"They are your new maids, Your Majesty," Vermiel shows up and looks like someone who's just been woken up. "Why are you up? It's only four in the morning. What about your Consorts? Are you sure you should be walking so soon?"

"I can't sleep anymore and I'm hungry," I clarify and don't like the fact that I have to explain myself inside my own apartment. "And don't you dare wake up my partners, they are exhausted."

"As you order, my Emperor," Vermiel nods. "Yrienne, Kaileen, His Majesty needs something warmer to wear and a midnight snack."

The new maids grow pale that they didn't realise it themselves and run off. Vermiel, who apparently has permission to touch me, readily offers me his support.

"What about the States? Why didn't you wake me up?" I ask, concerned. "They must have contacted us by now."

"They did, but it was very brief, so Her Excellency decided to let you rest, Your Majesty," Vermiel helps me to the living room. "They still don't know what exactly happened, many politicians were arrested for treason and they are currently undergoing an investigation. President Behera begged us to give them a few hours. She claimed that the majority of Secretaries didn't know what Delgado was planning to do."

"President Behera?" I widen my eyes. "How did that happen?"

I remember Yasmine Behera as the person who was taking care of our safety during the New York conference and imploring me to stay open to future political talks should the leadership change. I knew she was a high-ranking official, but she was actually in the order of succession, huh? I didn't see that coming.

"Actually, I need fresh air," I suddenly change my mind. "Take me to the balcony."

"Being outside is not the best idea right now, Your Majesty," Vermiel doesn't like it.

"You mean outside that's still inside the shield I created myself?" I roll my eyes. "Nothing dangerous can get through. Come on, Vermiel, relax a bit."

In the end, the Guard Captain allows it, but not sooner than Kaileen returns and dresses me into a warm multi-layered robe and changes my slippers for proper shoes. I sit on the rattan sofa and she wraps me in a blanket just in case it gets too chilly.

The night is tranquil and the shield is shining like a rainbow. I take a deep breath of fresh night air and it is a bit chilly, but I welcome it. I realise how quickly things change—how volatile and fragile everything is. Just a few hours ago, the biggest threats I worried about were monsters and my father. Now, we're potentially on the brink of war.

"Is this okay, Your Majesty?" Yrienne returns with hands full of snacks. "I'm really sorry that I wasn't able to bring you a properly cooked meal, but the kitchen is closed at this hour."

"That's more than enough, thank you," I assure her, unwrapping an egg sandwich and taking a sip of orange juice. I bite into the sandwich and it must be from the cafeteria because it tastes really good, definitely not from a vending machine. I'm munching slowly and with every swallow I let the new reality sink in.

Regardless of what happened behind the scenes, the United States nuked us. We might avoid open war by an inch if the new President plays it right, but Draconians and the US will never be allies. It's not only about Delgado, I bet at least half of Americans would be grateful to him if the attacks were successful.

"Yrienne, Kaileen, you're originally American, right?" I ask the maids who are stepping nervously by the door, waiting for more orders.

"Y-yes?" they answer in unison and get even more nervous.

"Can you explain to me why are Americans so strongly against us? Because I really don't understand," I say, saddened. "Draconians never wronged humans."

"I-if I may," Yrienne clears her throat. "Your thinking is too European, Your Majesty, that's why it's so difficult for you to get the American mentality."

"Celestial, not European," I oppose.

"But you grew up here," she insists bravely. "You grew up in a political and social environment that supports diversity and provides certain social and health security to all. In the States, there's nothing of that sort. You either have money or you don't. People can do the strangest things when they don't feel safe and being antagonistic against anything unusual or foreign is one of them."

"Like us," Kaileen takes Yriennes's hand and kisses it. Oh, so they are a couple? I focus more intensely on their feelings and discover that under their surface nervousness and shyness that I'm the cause of right now, I'm catching warm love for each other.

"We grew up in slums and VR was our only way out, at least temporarily," Kaileen says. "We were neighbours, actually, and started dating when we were fourteen. Our families eventually came to terms with it somehow when we came out, but it wasn't this nice unconditional support you see in movies. More like don't shove it in our faces and we'll ignore it."

"When we started changing," Yrienne continues with their life story, "it was too much for my grandfather. He never really acknowledged me being queer and when I sprouted wings, it messed him up completely. He considers himself to be a devoted Christian between all that drinking he's usually doing."

"Messed? How?" I stop eating because Yrienne's emotional state changes drastically when she recalls that memory.

"He tried to smother me in my sleep," she whispers and lowers her head. "I survived only because I threw him back with telekinesis, it was pure instinct. He hit his head, was bleeding and then my mother lost it when she saw what I did with my new powers. She took out a gun and pointed it at me, shouting to get the hell out and that I'm no longer her daughter."

"My family was a tiny bit more understanding towards our change, but we knew we had to go," Kaileen starts sobbing. "We met with other Draconians, joined Soren and now we're here with you. Her Excellency was kind enough to make us both your new maids. It's a dream come true."

I'm at loss for words when they finish retelling their story. Compared to them, my life before the Great Evolution was easy. Sure, my grandmother was a bitch, but I don't think she would ever physically hurt me. Thanks to my proficiency in gaming, I started earning some serious money when I was still in high school and European university education is free for all EU citizens. I was lucky to grow up here. The girls are right, no wonder I can't understand Americans.

I stand up and decide to royally ignore the protocol. I spread my wings and give Kaileen and Yrienne my warmest hug. I touch their traumatised minds and send them my unconditional love and assurance that I'll do everything in my power to protect them. I can't heal their deep emotional wounds, but I can at least make them feel secure and accepted from now on.

"Look how quickly our Emperor exchanged us for pretty girls," Gotrid suddenly speaks up, but he's amused, not annoyed.

"Indeed," Erik seconds, not less amused. It seems my partners woke up after all when they couldn't subconsciously feel me in their sleep anymore.

I look up but keep Yrienne and Kaileen enveloped in my wings. They are shaking and need a moment to recover. I'm well aware that my 'blessing' can be overwhelming to someone who's not used to my telepathy.

"Meet Yrienne and Kaileen, our new maids," I introduce the newcomers. "They are a couple as it turns out."

"That's good!" Erik is genuinely relieved. "I can't stand Ayala and Cien staring at you so lustfully every time they dress you up."

"They are not," I frown.

"They are," he shrugs.

"Who says these two will be any better?" Gotrid raises his eyebrows, a grin on his face. "Androgynous beauty of our beloved is universal."

"Shush, you," I purse my lips even though I know he's just joking to alleviate the tension. "Don't you dare tease them, they've been through a lot."

"We know," Gotrid sighs and gets serious. "Luviael gave us their files for final approval."

"Love, return to bed," Erik begs me. "It's still dead of night, the US government won't call us now in fear or antagonising us further."

"I was hungry," I point at my half-eaten sandwich and slowly open up my wings. The girls are still a bit shaky, but they calmed down and feel much better. "Yrienne, Kaileen, go to sleep, my partners will take care of me," I tell them and release them from my feathery embrace. They let go rather unwillingly.

"You were eating without us forcing you? That's a change," Gotrid is pleasantly surprised and they both wait for me to finish that sandwich.

"Ehm... don't you need to use a bathroom?" Erik asks me a weird question.

"Not really, why?" I drink the last drop of my orange juice.

"Well," Erik blushes, embarrassed to bring it up. "You haven't been to the toilet ever since you created the shield which is almost two days ago."

"Right," I realise and it is quite shocking. "I guess my body is burning everything without leftovers for the time being?"

"That would make sense," Erik says reluctantly, but he's still not fully convinced. "We just don't want to neglect anything; doctor Julia asked us to keep checking for that because she noticed that you haven't..."

"Okaaaay, enough!" I stop him. Great, now my overzealous caretakers are checking my shit. Literally. If the world wasn't on the brink of war, I'd start laughing. Just how absurd is that?

We return to bed and, at first, my partners think that I'm not in the mood for anything else besides snuggling for comfort, so I throw the guards out and prove them wrong. I made a promise to myself some time ago that I would use every opportunity to spend quality time with them and I mean to honour it. Because if I learned anything in the past few months, it's that love is the only thing that matters.