Draconia Offline vol. 1

41.1. (Un)Bound - Part 1

"Ehm... what are you doing, hon?"

Erik shakes me gently. I reluctantly open my eyes, still very sleepy. For a few moments, I feel disoriented and don't know why I'm snuggling into my wings while lying on the floor.

"I woke up in the middle of the night and couldn't fall asleep again," I recall and rub my eyes. "I guess I finally dozed off when staring out of the window."

"Silly, you should have woken me up. Up you go," he pulls me onto my feet. "Aren't you sore?"

"A bit," I admit and stretch, careful not to hit anything with my wings.

And then the realisation hits me. I couldn't fall asleep because I was too excited that my transformation has finished. My body is fully prepared to fly! I want to share the happy news with Erik immediately but something stops me. Erik is looking at me with concern. He's analysing my huge wings which I can't even stretch properly in our bedroom.

"You'll be able to fly soon," he says, not knowing that I already can. "I'm worried, Ryuu. How do we make it safe for you? What if some lunatic tries to shoot at you?"

Shiver goes down my spine. Okay, I haven't thought about that. Erik did and he feels really anxious as a result. He's afraid to let me out.

"I'm training to be able to cast shields," I assure him.

Do I tell him now? But I don't think he's going to help me persuade Liana that I'll be fine on my own. He will most probably take her side instead. I have to approach it differently like trying hard at today's training session. Did I really hold back last time? Was Taranah right? Well, I have a new motivation now!

"Hopefully, we should still have some time and Liana will come up with something," Erik says, oblivious to my inner turmoil as I hide my thinking from him. I don't feel good about it because I don't want any secrets between us but, at the same time, I don't want to worry him unnecessarily.

Erik opens the door and lets my maids in. While we were given some privacy in the evening, morning is evidently a different chapter. I quickly go to wash my face, brush my teeth and then obediently stand up, allowing Cien and Ayala to put a royal attire on me. I think I'd manage just fine if I used telekinesis but they're definitely much faster and know how to tie every layer properly without crumpling the fabric.

"Do we have a hairdresser in the skyscraper?" I ask when they proceed to style my hair. "I need a haircut. My hair is too long and gets in the way."

"There's no way we're cutting your beautiful silver hair, Your Majesty," Ayala rejects the idea without even thinking about it for a second. "If you feel it gets in the way, we can braid it."

I frown. It's my hair, don't I have any say in the matter or what? It seems I don't. The maids start arguing about a hairpin and totally ignore my request.

So are you their Emperor or not? Erik is confused about it but pretends that he's busy dressing up so that we don't leak our sweet little secret.

Draconia Online was a fantasy game set in a fictitious historical era with magic but Celestial culture was actually based on ancient China, I answer him, pondering myself.

No shit. I don't know much about it but I suspect ancient Chinese Emperors didn't have it exactly easy, right? Endless political meetings, strict court procedures and keeping appearances?

Well, let's hope not everything got transferred here to the letter, I say. Besides, Celestial culture is still a bit different, it was only inspired by it.

But still... damn, Ryuu.

"We're done, Your Majesty," Cien informs me.

I check myself in the mirror. She tried to tie my hair so that it doesn't get in the way so much but she still left most of it loose. I resist sighing and stand up. Erik looks so modern and smart compared to me. Do we look weird together? But I simply don't care about that, smile at my boyfriend and we leave our apartment as a proud couple.

I meet Liana in the hall which is rare. She usually wakes up much earlier than me and Erik. She looks rested and energised. For a second, I can't help wondering. Did she take it as friendly advice (which was my intention) or an order from her Emperor? Would she even listen to me like that? I'm afraid to find out.

"Thanks for yesterday," she tells me instead of good morning. "Sometimes I don't know when to stop."

"You don't," I chuckle but then I get serious.

How do I tell her? Will she listen to me? I used to think she at least partially kept her human perspective but ever since she disclosed my secret to other people without consulting with me first, I know for sure that she didn't. She's just relaxed around me, unlike others, so it might seem that way. I don't think she'll let me out on my own no matter how much I plead.

"Where's Ingri?" I ask instead. "I feel her but she's quite far away."

"She wakes up very early and goes out every morning," Liana says. "Apparently, the Earthborn don't need to sleep so many hours but they need the sun and fresh air to recharge."

Okay, now we're back to my yesterday's question.

"Li? Why do I feel everyone can get out but me?" I ask and look straight into her eyes.

My Viceroy sighs but withstands my stare.

"Because that's exactly how it is right now, Aefener," she answers honestly. "We're just one skyscraper surrounded by other skyscrapers and countless smaller buildings in this business area. Our security guards the perimeter fiercely but the fluctuation of people around us is very high. It simply isn't safe out there."

"Ingri can get out, though," I remark enviously.

"I hate to say it but Ingri is nobody," Liana bites her lip. "Sure, she's quite famous for being seen next to us all the time so I assigned her some bodyguards when she goes out, of course, but she's just a glorified secretary. By the way, I can't go out either."

"But Emi can," I narrow my eyes.

"Emi is a race ruler, I have no authority over her," she rolls her eyes because Emi really doesn't listen to anyone. "She takes her whole pack for her morning jogs so she should be safe enough. Besides, Clawfangs think differently about their ruler."

"Differently how?" Erik pulls my sleeve. "I thought you're all rulers for life—medieval style."

"Actually, that's true only for Celestials," Liana explains to him patiently. "When it comes to Clawfangs, anyone can challenge the Supreme Alpha and if they win the duel, they become the new ruler. It's the same for the Dragonkin. As for the Earthborn ruling duo, they lose the post if their harmonic relationship breaks."

"So Ryuu can't abdicate?" Erik is taken aback. I guess he was hoping that if things get too unbearable for me, I could just resign or something.

"That word doesn't exist in the Celestial lore," Liana shakes her head and takes out her phone that starts vibrating.

"If that was ever an option, I'd do it already," I confirm with a sorrowful sigh.

"That's so... alien," Erik scratches his chin.

"It's Luvi, we're late," Liana says and that means the end of the topic for now. "Let's get to work, boys."