Draconia Offline vol. 1

34.2. Emperor's Nature - Part 2

It totally slipped my mind that I have that appointment with the psychologist Liana invited. I don't feel like going, not after what happened with Dubois, but Erik is deaf to my lame excuses.

"What will I talk about with him when I can't mention my telepathy?" I voice my biggest concern.

"You can start with the conflict within you about becoming the Celestial Emperor," Erik helps me on the way. There's only Miruel and Vermiel in the elevator so we can speak freely.

"Conflict?" they both look at me, alarmed. "Your Majesty, don't we serve you well?"

"Erik meant the burden of responsibility, stuff like that," I murmur, embarrassed because they're looking at me strangely, almost panicky.

"B-but you have us!" Miruel exclaims. "You have Her Excellency... the Royal Consort... and every Celestial will be eager to help. You're not alone in it."

"Thanks," I smile at her faintly for those encouraging words. "I'll surely need every guidance I can get. I just hope you won't regret your decision making me the Emperor."

"Decision?" Vermiel tilts his head and I can feel that I confused him. "There's nothing we could possibly decide. You're the strongest Celestial so it's natural you rightfully claimed the throne. I'd never answer to anyone else. Or do you think I'd serve just anybody?"

I study his determined expression as well as emotional resolution. He's not kidding. He's not role-playing. Just as Taranah, he means every word he says. And neither he, nor Miruel understand why I lack confidence when they both have absolute trust in me.

Reinforcements are already waiting for us when we step outside the elevator and join Miruel and Vermiel. Just a few weeks ago I'd frown at such arrangement—why do I need so many guards inside Liana's skyscraper?—but Draconians don't act exactly normal around their rulers. I don't want to repeat that incident with my ripped feather so I'm grateful for their presence.

In the end we don't pass that many people, I guess it's dinner time for most of them, but I still get too many stares and there're too many attempts to stop me on my way. Other races aren't that crazy but passing Celestials are just impossibly eager to stir a conversation with me or simply touch my wings.

It proves useful again that Miruel and Vermiel know my secret. They realise why I don't like being touched by strangers and try their hardest to divert everyone away. I try smiling at everyone but it must be totally cringy. Their emotions are too fluttered, too turbulent when they see me. It doesn't make me nauseous only because they're my fellow Draconians.

"Come in!" an enthusiastic voice invites us when we stand in front of the office that was transformed into the psychologist's new place and Vermiel knocks.

"H-hello," I say cautiously and step inside between Vermiel and Erik. The door is of regular size so I wouldn't fit in if I didn't fold my wings straight behind my back.

"Your Majesty," a man in his forties with sandy wings and graying short hair stands up and greets me with a sincere smile. He's wearing old-fashioned glasses which give him a really trustworthy look. "I'm honoured to have you as my patient. Please, sit down. Your partner can sit next to you if he takes the chair over there."

"Actually, I'll take that one," I go for the other chair which is much simpler and doesn't have a back rest.

"Oh, I see," he realises that I must be struggling with my wings when it comes to common human furniture because his wings are still quite small. He couldn't have been a high-level, even the mana capacity I feel from him is much smaller than, for instance, Taranah's.

I was half-expecting he would have one of those sofas one can see in any movie featuring a psychologist but I guess he didn't have time to order new furniture yet. Vermiel and Miruel go stand guard outside to give us privacy so we end up alone with the doctor.