The Viceroy Takes Over

Liana rolls her eyes when Soren puts a sandwich on the keyboard so that she can’t even finish writing the sentence. She looks up, frowning. Ever since His Majesty put Soren in charge of taking care of her wellbeing, it’s been a constant terror.

“I’ll eat it later, I need to finish this proposal,” she tries to reason with him.

“You can finish it after you eat the snack, Your Excellency,” Soren doesn’t budge. “I know that it’s super important, but it can wait for a few minutes.”

Liana sighs, unwraps the sandwich and bites into it. If Soren had been only mildly annoying as her guard, he’d now become insufferable. While Liana is still technically his superior, the Emperor has granted him special privileges which means that he can command her around. She’s sure that His Majesty did it on purpose as revenge. He must have wanted Liana to see how annoying it is to have someone behind their wings all the time.

She finishes the sandwich, but she doesn’t get back to the proposal because Luviael tells her that there’s an urgent call from the Japanese government. Luviael used to be His Majesty’s adjutant, but since their Emperor is spending all his time training telepathy with his father, Luvi was transferred to temporarily work under Liana.

“Ichikawa-san, how can I be of assistance?” Liana bows symbolically as the Japanese custom dictates.

“Good morning, Your Excellency, I’m calling concerning our ambassador,” the Prime Minister says. “We thought that it would take her a few days to prepare, but she just informed us that she would like to start tomorrow.”

“Oh?” Liana is surprised. “And she’s okay with moving to the Nebula premises?”

“Yes, she’s packing as we speak,” Ichikawa nods. “Two months ago, she returned from South Korea and her new posting was yet to be decided so it came at a perfect timing.”

“Okay then, I’ll talk to the Divementis and prepare adequate accommodation for the ambassador and her child,” Liana promises.

“Actually, the daughter is hardly a child. She’s twenty-three already, studies international relations and follows in her mother’s footsteps,” Ichikawa smiles. “As a transformed Draconian, I’m sure she will jump after an opportunity to help out considering how ambitious she is—an exemplary straight-A student.”

“And the ambassador’s daughter is…?” Liana tilts her head.

“A Celestial,” Ichikawa announces solemnly. “Another reason why the ambassador in question is such a good fit for the position.”

“I shall welcome them both then,” Liana gets hopeful about the prospect.

*****

Liana is starting to painfully realise how little power she actually has. When she was working side by side with the Emperor, nobody would question her decisions even when they came from her and not their embodiment of magic. She even started to feel a bit proud, thinking that Celestials must naturally respect her. How wrong she was.

“I can’t let you talk to His Majesty, the Emperor is busy training,” she repeats for the third time, talking to the representative of French Celestials. The man is getting on her nerves; it seems he just won’t take ‘no’ for an answer.

“We want to hear it from His Majesty directly,” the French representative insists.

“It’s all true, why would you doubt that?” Liana clicks her tongue, annoyed at this point. “The Divementis Emperor himself recorded the message we sent you.”

“We need to…,” the man protests, but Liana interrupts him.

“The Emperor gave me all the rights to act in his stead,” she stays her ground.

The French representative bites his lip, battling with himself internally. He can’t disobey a direct order coming from the Emperor, but he wants to find an excuse to talk to him. Liana decides this just won’t do. War or not, they can’t be so overly reliant on their embodiment of magic.

“In the Emperor’s absence, the Viceroy acts as his deputy,” Liana continues. “If you want to explain to His Majesty why you disobeyed his orders, be my guest, but it would be much more productive if we just dealt with this issue ourselves and didn’t bother his training.”

After that, the French representative becomes much more cooperative and they manage to wrap it up in two hours. Liana is dead tired by that time and she hasn’t had any time for a flying session. Admittedly, she doesn’t need to fly nearly as much as their embodiment of magic, but she is still stiff.

“We should have time tomorrow,” Soren assures her, noticing her discomfort. Liana gives him a tired look and when she’s finally back in her apartment, she collapses into bed.

*****

Liana hopes to see the Emperor at breakfast the next day but no such luck. Instead, she bumps into Erik who is putting various dishes from the buffet tables into plastic boxes.

“Where’s His Majesty?” she asks, automatically worried.

“We let him sleep in, so I’m preparing us breakfast in advance so that we won’t waste time when he wakes up,” Erik explains.

“Why didn’t you send the maids?” Liana doesn’t understand. It’s true that they can’t cook for the Emperor because the Divementis are taking care of their nutrition now, but it doesn’t mean the Royal Consort himself has to pick up food.

“They wouldn’t bring what Ryuu craves the most,” Erik laughs and shows her the boxes—they are full of pancakes.

Liana doesn’t have to be a telepath to notice a change within him. He has always been a positive person, but ever since the Divementis promised to transform him, he has become much more relaxed. She tries to imagine him with wings, but her imagination fails her. Erik has been the only human in their inner circle for too long.

Still, soon he won’t be and Liana is glad for that. She might respect Erik deeply, but the truth is that he isn’t Celestial. Their precious embodiment of magic needs someone who will be able to protect and support him for hundreds of years and a human simply wouldn’t be capable of that.

“How’s Draconia Online?” she asks curiously and also decides to go for pancakes. She puts a mountain of cranberries on top and rolls them with cream.

“So far I’m really enjoying the game,” Erik admits and, after a short hesitation, he packs a few sandwiches as well. “I could move my wings a little bit and I tried a simple spell. It’s a pity that the game has only NPCs, but Nala is good company. With her guidance and Ryuuto sharing his flying dreams with me, I should change in just six months or so.”

“Isn’t the Divementis Emperor overworking His Majesty?” Liana voices her concern. After all, his absence right now isn’t a good sign.

“Ryuuto insists that the training is okay, but you know him,” Erik sighs.

“I’m asking exactly because I know him,” Liana sighs as well. “Still, Gotrid is with him, so he should be in good hands.”

“Despite the harsh training, Ryuu still has the energy to worry about you,” Erik shakes his head. “Gotrid told me that every time he has a little bit of time, he sends his mind to check up on you. He’s doing it very gently, so you probably didn’t feel anything.”

“I didn’t,” Liana is taken aback. So, her Emperor has been checking up on her? That’s so like him. “Please, tell him that he doesn’t have to. I have Soren watching over me.”

“I’ll try,” Erik nods and leaves.

Liana has to admire him. Erik is the best protector they could wish for. The Royal Guards are responsible for the Emperor’s physical safety, but that’s not what His Majesty needs the most. It’s the consort’s role to provide emotional security.

“I’m afraid that I must object,” Soren suddenly materialises next to her, studying her plate. “I noticed that you eat too many sweets, Your Excellency. Sugar might not be harmful to us, but we do need a balanced diet.”

“I won’t throw them away,” Liana defends her plate. It’s unfair that Erik allows Ryuuto sweets first thing in the morning while her wellbeing supervisor is against it. But then again, in the case of their skinny Emperor, they can be glad that he’s eating at least something without being forced.

“I’ll take one then,” he gives her a dazzling smile and points towards sunny-side eggs, fresh bread and a huge bowl of salad. “Please.”

Liana rolls her eyes, but she complies. It’s true that she’s been eating rather unhealthily lately, but she can’t help it. When she’s stressed, she craves sugar. Having filled another plate, Liana looks for an unoccupied table. Normally, she eats together with Luviael, but she can’t see her anywhere. Liana sits down and finds herself getting a bit anxious.

Even though Soren has been with her almost nonstop for several months now, they never shared a table like this—just the two of them. Liana eyes her guards, but they can’t sit while on duty. She spots a few Celestial officials, but they are halfway into their breakfast already.

“We forgot drinks,” Soren realises. “What would you like to drink, Your Excellency? We will have coffee later, so choose something else.”

“Peppermint tea,” Liana resists biting her lip. Soren isn’t some low-ranking assistant, but he doesn’t seem bothered to be sent on errands when it’s for her. He gives her another dazzling smile and runs back to the buffet tables.

Liana stares at her colleagues again, silently begging them to pick up their trays and come join her table. However, everyone looks down at their plates and suddenly looks too busy. Liana frowns. What gives?! Are they scared of her or something? She might not be as adored as the embodiment of magic and she’s known for being strict, but she’s reasonably friendly most of the time.

Soren returns, bringing her a mug of peppermint tea and orange juice for himself. He looks quite relaxed in her presence and is all smiles. He’s one of those people who is generally very easy to get along with and friendly with anyone—perfect material for a liaison officer. And the worst possible match for her.

“Where’s Luviael?” Liana scans the entire canteen again, desperate for company.

“Waiting for His Majesty to wake up I bet,” Soren shrugs. “I heard that she didn’t take her temporary reassignment well and uses every opportunity to be with him again.”

Liana raises her eyebrow, but she can sympathise. Even though Luviael’s position would be just a glorified assistant if she was employed in a normal company, being the Emperor’s adjutant is something entirely else. It doesn’t matter that Luvi just sorts out paperwork and takes care of His Majesty’s schedule—she can do so for the embodiment of magic which is the highest honour.

“Your Excellency,” Soren addresses her all of a sudden, interrupting her pondering.

“What?” she looks up and meets with his intense gaze and dashing smile. It takes all her willpower not to look sideways.

“Your eggs are getting cold,” he reminds her because she must have been lost in thoughts for a while now.

“Right,” she mumbles and finally digs in.

She’s relieved that she can make herself busy with food and doesn’t have to keep eye contact. When she realises that, she suddenly feels stupid. For some reason, being around Soren makes her feel anxious and relaxed at the same time if such a thing is even possible. Ever since His Majesty appointed him as her wellness overseer, Liana can no longer dismiss him whenever she feels like it and it drives her crazy.

“What about we have coffee on the terrace?” Soren speaks up again when she finishes her eggs, pointing towards an open glass door. There’s a light breeze coming through which is something they could never afford to happen with their embodiment of magic around—he would feel too tempted to jump off.

“We don’t have time,” Liana shakes her head.

“Ten minutes, Viceroy,” Soren sighs. “That's all I ask.”

Before Liana can reply, Soren stands up, takes both their plates and just heads towards the terrace.

“Hey!” Liana objects, but her pancake is gone at this point and there’s nothing she can do about it. Sure, she could go to the buffet tables for another one, but that would look extremely silly and immature.

“It’s part of your wellness regime,” Soren calls after her to make sure she follows him.

Liana fumes and… follows. She gets embarrassed because, even though it looks like everyone is minding their plates, she can feel their curious gazes. She bets it must be funny for them to see their esteemed Viceroy humiliated like that.

Soren doesn’t waste any time and occupies one of the tables. Liana is surprised that the terrace is empty. Don’t her people prefer to sit outside rather than inside? She reluctantly sits down on the rattan chair that’s quite comfortable even for someone with wings.

And she’s twice as surprised when Uriel shows up seemingly out of nowhere and brings them two cups of coffee. She gives Liana a shy smile, winks at Soren and disappears without a word. What’s going on here? She would kill for the Emperor’s emphatic ability right now.

“You’re supposed to relax, Viceroy,” Soren observes because it’s evident how stiffly Liana is sitting. “We’ll be busy the whole day so this might be the only chance to just chill.”

Liana sips her coffee and eats a mouthful of pancakes so that she doesn’t have to talk. Soren has a point and she should be grateful that he’s trying to give her a rare breather. Still, something about this whole setup just doesn’t feel right. Why are they here all alone? Why did Uriel bring them coffee when they could fetch it themselves?

“You have cream on your lips, Your Excellency,” Soren suddenly chuckles.

Liana turns red and quickly wipes her mouth into a napkin. Something like this happens to their Emperor all the time, but it’s adorable in his case and Royal Consorts gladly wipe his lips with a kiss. As for Liana, though… utterly embarrassing!

“You don’t have to be on guard all the time, you know,” Soren remarks, but there’s no mockery in his voice, only kindness. “I understand that Your Excellency has to appear strong in public, but we’re not in public right now. You can afford to look cute once in a while.”

“C-cute?!” Liana almost chokes on a piece of pancake she still hasn’t managed to swallow.

“What, am I the first person to call you that?” Soren laughs heartily. “You are cute, Viceroy, even though you’re trying hard to hide it.”

Liana finally manages to swallow and looks at Soren in disbelief. Part of her wants to punish him for that insolence, but there’s another part of her that… is kind of happy right now? Anyway, she’s really glad that there’s nobody nearby who could overhear them.

“I’m still technically your superior,” she complains because she can’t think of a better answer. “It’s not appropriate and I could punish you.”

“I would just beg His Majesty for mercy which I would be granted no doubt,” Soren smirks, but again, there’s no mockery. He’s cheeky but in a good-hearted way.

Frankly, Liana doesn’t know what to do with him. She can’t reassign him because Soren is part of the Royal Guard and only the Emperor can dismiss an imperial battle mage. Something tells her that no matter how much she would beg their embodiment of magic, he would be deaf to her pleas.

She slowly sips her coffee to gain some time to think. She’s not getting rid of Soren anytime soon, that’s for sure. His Majesty is concerned about her health so he gave Soren an ungrateful task to watch over her. Admittedly, Soren might be irritating at times, but he’s doing his best.

“Thanks, I guess,” she murmurs in the end.

“Oh?” Soren’s eyes light up. “What for?”

“You wanted me to have a quiet relaxing morning,” she states the obvious and points to the rest of the tables that remain empty despite the nice weather.

“Well, since it’s virtually impossible to invite you for a coffee the normal way, I had to be inventive,” he crosses his arms.

Liana almost drops her cup. What did he…? No, she must have misunderstood. Maybe Americans use this word differently from Europeans? More casually?

“You heard right,” Soren leans closer. “I’ve tried to invite you for coffee three times already. For such a sharp person, you can sure be dumb, Your Excellency. Excuse my insolence.”

“B-but… when?” Liana is stricken. And did Soren just call her dumb?!

“You’ve always brushed me aside and didn’t even notice,” Soren taps his foot.

“Invite… as in… a date? Why…? How…?” Liana is at a loss for words. “I thought you didn’t like me and you enjoy bullying me.”

“I do enjoy bullying you,” he smirks. “I guess that’s why His Majesty gave me this job. Still… he must have felt something else as well and, being as kind as he is, wanted to give me a chance with you. He must have known that you would never consider me if I wasn’t your equal.”

Liana is stunned speechless. Fortunately, she’s saved by Luviael who finally shows up and looks bewildered. She’s fuming, her feathers are all puffed up and she sits down with a loud thud, putting a tray with her breakfast right between them. Oblivious to the atmosphere she barged into, she starts ranting right away.

“The Consorts gave me barely two minutes with His Majesty, saying that my presence isn’t needed,” she complains and smashes her sunny-side eggs with a fork.

“At least you saw him,” Soren gives her an annoyed look, but Luviael is too bewildered to catch the drift.

“Did he look rested enough?” Liana, on the other hand, is glad for the interruption.

“Well, I hope so,” Luviael shrugs. “The Consorts try to wait for him to wake up naturally. It seems to be the Divementis Emperor’s idea. Still, I don’t agree with the current state of things at all. How come we allowed the Divementis to take care of our embodiment of magic so easily?”

“Easily?” Soren shakes his head. “We all feel the same, Luviael, but there’s nothing we can do. The Enemy will invade the Earth in just two years and we’re far from being ready. His Majesty is the best shot we’ve got, but it’s his telepathy that will help us win the war, not magic. Whether we like it or not, he needs their guidance.”

“I know that,” Luvi mumbles with a mouth full of bread and finally shuts up.

Liana catches Soren’s gaze and averts her eyes, pretending to be busy with her half-eaten pancake. Luviael’s wild entrée interrupted… whatever that was.

Liana thought that maybe over time they could become good friends but… lovers? That idea didn’t even cross her mind. How could it? With all that’s going on right now, she didn’t think it was the right time for any sort of office romance. His Majesty is an exception to the rule as having partners turns out to be his biological need.

“Your Excellency, the Japanese ambassador is here,” Gavreel shows up.

However, he does so discreetly as if he knows that he’s interrupting them. When he notices Luviael, his expression mirrors surprise. Wait, did he know that Soren arranged this to be a date? Did Uriel who brought them coffee know?

“Let’s not keep her waiting then,” Liana stands up quickly, not wanting to prolong the suffering. She was always the type to drown herself in work whenever facing a personal issue—her form of escapism.

If Soren is disappointed by her running away, he doesn’t let it show on his face and just follows. It was decided that they should meet the delegation at the entrance of Nebula because being picked up by Celestials is probably much better than being greeted by telepathic aliens the ambassador has never seen before.

The ambassador is a dignified lady in her late forties with sharp eyes and long black hair tied into a perfect knot. Surprisingly, she isn’t wearing a business suit but a traditional kimono and looks like someone who was born to wear it.

Her daughter seems to be extremely nervous and excited at the same time. She has long dark blue hair tied into a messy bun and magpie wings. Her puffed-up feathers are another sign of how nervous she must be feeling right now. Liana wonders if the girl has lived with humans until now.

“Nakamura-san, it’s nice to meet you,” Liana crosses those few metres still separating them and offers her a handshake. Generally, the Japanese prefer bowing, but the ambassador must be used to dealing with foreigners because she accepts Liana’s hand as the most natural thing.

“I’m honoured to be here, Your Excellency,” the ambassador bows slightly. If only their Emperor were here right now, he would be able to tell how the ambassador feels about her assignment.

“This is my daughter Daileen,” the ambassador then introduces her daughter. “I hope you will accept her into your… flock? Is that how you call it?”

“Mom, that’s embarrassing,” Daileen turns red and pulls her wide sleeve. “It’s called ‘flock’ only when we fly in groups.”

“I see, it seems I misunderstood,” the ambassador apologises. “Still, I hope you will accept my daughter because she hasn’t had many chances to be with her people. She might be young, but she studies international relations and she didn’t discontinue her studies after the Great Evolution because she wants to become a diplomat one day. She takes after me.”

“Daileen, there’s no need to be so nervous,” Liana gives her a reassuring smile. “If you want, we can even give you a part-time job. We desperately need more people capable of cooperating with other races.”

“A job? For the Celestial government?” Daileen widens her eyes.

“That’s right, consider it an internship of sorts,” Liana nods. After all, not many Celestials are willing to deal with other races, especially unruly Clawfangs. If Daileen is eager to do it, good for them.

“Will I meet… His Majesty?” Daileen asks shyly. Her request might sound unprofessional so early after her arrival, but it’s every Celestial’s dream to meet their embodiment of magic in person. They can’t help it.

“Eventually,” Liana confirms. “I can’t promise you when that happens, though. Our Emperor is too busy training with the Divementis these days. That being said, you will be able to run into him randomly sooner or later.”

“Oh, I see,” Daileen is overjoyed. “I want to work, Your Excellency. For our Emperor, for Celestials… for peace between us and humans.”

“I appreciate that,” Liana stretches her right wing and touches Daileen’s left wing—a Celestial form of greeting. “Welcome, Daileen. You’re one of us.”

Liana catches Soren intently watching her. There aren’t many opportunities during which Liana can openly express kindness so it must be a rare occurrence for him. She gives him an annoyed look before she switches her focus back to the ambassador. This is going to be a long day.