The Viceroy Explaining

"The Celestial Viceroy... here?!" Miller stares at her, dumbfounded. "B-but... what about Miss Elyon?"

One moment, he was looking at a blond-haired woman with hawk-patterned wings, but in the blink of an eye the image has completely changed into the famous black-winged Celestial known as Liana. And if that wasn't enough of a shocker, their human assistant, who was supposed to be the most normal member of the group, transformed into an alien species Miller had never seen before.

"Where's your chauffeur, Kat?" Liana asks, helping Rien push the unconscious Divementis chancellor into their car.

"A smoke break?" the Prime Minister shrugs. "We're lucky, I guess."

"Are you going to explain to me what the hell is going on?!" Miller loses it.

"Li, it seems we have to tell Dan the truth," Katerina sighs. "I suggest we take him with us to the Embassy."

"Okay, okay, let's get out of here first," Liana agrees, nervous that someone might enter the car park and see them.

"What about riding with us so that you don't have to squeeze? I'll drive," the Prime Minister offers and grabs Dan's sleeve just in case because he looks on the verge of running away. "We will explain everything to you, Dan. I promise."

They quickly split into two cars. The embassy car is driven by Rien with Soren and Solarae in the back. Soren is doing his best to hold her and make her more comfortable. The governmental car is driven by the Prime Minister. She pushes Detective Miller into the passenger seat next to her while Liana occupies the whole back row.

Fortunately, they don't have to worry on the way to the embassy. Both SUVs have dark-tinted windows and their license numbers carry a special governmental signature, so the police can't stop them. Dan is eyeing Liana in the rear-view mirror during the whole journey, but it seems he decided to save his questions for the embassy.

In the meantime, Liana calls Ingri to explain the situation to her in advance. Ingri promises that she will try to secure the route from the underground parking to the Celestial floors so that they won't meet random employees. There's no way to avoid running into Celestials, though.

"That's okay, they can keep a secret," Liana replies. "Also, get Doctor Julia. We think Solarae fainted just from strain, but Julia had better check on her."

As the security protocol dictates, they are stopped in front of the embassy.

"It's me," Liana says to the guards, revealing her face. "Soren is in the other car with the Prime Minister. Let us in."

"Y-Your Excellency, h-how?" the guards stammer. Fortunately, they would never question orders coming from the Viceroy herself and they were notified in advance by Ingri, so they open the gate for them promptly.

Ingri runs to the cars as soon as they've parked, dragging Doctor Julia with her.

"I'm okay, Solarae is in the other car," Liana says, waving her hand dismissively.

"On it," Julia says tensely. They told her about the Divementis a few days ago, but that was through a video call. "Just so you know, I might be used to treating Draconians now, but a Divementis..."

"I know, just do whatever you can," Liana nods and looks at the people Ingri brought with her. There's Evaniel, the Minister of Commerce, and Laurin, the Minister of Foreign Affairs.

Soren takes the still unconscious Divementis chancellor out of the car and all eyes are immediately on Solarae. Knowing about the existence of the fifth Draconian race abstractly and seeing it with their own eyes are two totally different matters, of course.

"Their breathing is stable," Julia checks quickly, her fingers shaking when she touches Solarae. "Your Excellency, is this person he or she? I honestly can't tell."

"She," Liana states and presses the elevator button.

It's a spacious service lift, but they still have to split because four Celestials would get claustrophobic if they were too cramped. Soren, carrying Solarae, gets in first together with Julia, Rien and also Laurin, who offers to cover the Divementis chancellor with his wings on the way to the infirmary. Liana, Ingri, Evaniel, the Prime Minister and Detective Miller patiently wait for the elevator to return.

"Don't bother," Liana sighs in resignation when Evaniel also offers to cover Liana with her wings. "Those who will see Soren will put two and two together anyway. It's only Solarae that we have to keep secret for now."

"Your Excellency, this gentleman is...?" Evaniel finally notices the detective.

"Detective Miller is in charge of our case," Liana explains. "Unfortunately, he saw Solarae, so we had to take him with us."

"Maybe it will turn out to be fortunate in the end," the Prime Minister says, trying to sound positive. "The detective is supportive of Draconians, and I've known him for years. He would make a good ally."

"Hey, don't talk about me in the third person when I'm right next to you," Miller clicks his tongue. "Damn, I'm really at the Draconian Embassy, aren't I?"

They arrive at the Celestial Embassy and, as expected, they bump into many Celestials working here. Since it can't be helped, Liana accepts their bewildered whispers stoically.

"The Viceroy is here?! Why?"
"You mean how?"
"I saw Soren just a moment ago, so..."
"It looks like some sort of emergency."
"Hey, don't get in their way!"

They reach the infirmary just a few minutes after Soren's group. Solarae is lying on the hospital bed and Julia is checking her vitals. Julia's assistant Danaheim is here as well, and he's about to plug his rooty tentacles into Solarae's forearm.

"Wow!" He lets out an astonished cry when he connects to her.

"Be gentle!" Liana warns him in panic.

"Oh, I see now!" Danaheim shouts in epiphany, which is a bit out of character for him because he's usually so detached. "This specimen shares the same DNA as the Celestial Emperor. I finally understand. His Majesty is half... this."

"Danaheim, what did I tell you about calling our patients 'specimens'?" Julia berates him.

"Ugh, you're... so... loud," Solarae moans, slowly coming back to herself.

She opens her eyes fully and notices tentacles enveloping her left forearm.

"Ude maa dora ne!" she swears in Divementis and desperately tries to shake Danaheim off.

Danaheim releases his tentacles, his expression somewhat hurt. Solarae's violent reaction made it look as if he was some kind of disgusting leech.

"Chancellor, are you okay?" Liana jumps to the bed. It must have scared Solarae to see an unknown person the moment she regained consciousness.

"No!" Solarae whines. "My head is killing me, Viceroy. I need a quiet place, not an infirmary. I'm not sick; I'm overwhelmed and exhausted."

"Let's get you to my apartment then," Liana decides. "A soft bed, dim lights, minimum people around and all the cake you can eat. How does that sound?"

"Heavenly," Solarae nods.

Since Solarae is still dizzy, Soren takes her into his arms again. Now that the panic is over and Liana can think calmly, she catches herself halfway into an embarrassing train of thought. It's so ridiculous in its simplicity that it makes her feel ashamed much more than it normally would. Long story short—watching Soren touch Solarae in such an intimate way makes Liana jealous.

She scolds herself mentally the moment she realises it. For once, she's really grateful that His Majesty isn't next to her, for he would be able to sense her inner turmoil right away. And she feels even more stupid when she realises how irrational her jealousy is. Solarae is a Divementis. The Divementis can't bond with people of other species, with the rare exception of the Royal Bloodline and even that might have been a fluke.

There's literally zero chance of those two becoming a couple. Yet, Liana can't help it. Watching Soren carry Solarae with such gentle care triggers something deep within her. She feels irritated with Soren... but mainly with herself.

"I'll fetch some desserts from the cafeteria," Ingri offers and runs off in the different direction from them.

"Li, it is okay if we follow?" the Prime Minister asks because she doesn't know what to do with herself and Detective Miller when everyone heads to the Viceroy's apartment.

"Sure, I'll explain everything to him after we make Solarae comfortable," she promises, happy for the distraction. Work is good. Work can take her mind off unimportant things. Liana has always liked working exactly for this reason.

They somehow manage to reach her apartment without any hindrance. Not without witnesses, but at least nobody sees Solarae who is safely hidden behind their wings.

Soren puts the Divementis chancellor on Liana's bed and Solarae immediately cosies herself there. She doesn't lie down just yet, impatiently waiting for Ingri's return. Julia and Danaheim stayed in the infirmary while Evaniel and Laurin went to calm down the startled Embassy employees. The fewer people around Solarae right now, the better.

"Detective Miller," Liana turns to the police investigator, "I'm ready to explain the situation to you. This is Chancellor Solarae; she's a Divementis. The Divementis are the fifth Draconian race."

"The fifth," Miller murmurs, trying to come to terms with the revelation. "They weren't in the game, though?"

"Because we were the ones running the game," Solarae answers herself. She looks much more relaxed now that she's not surrounded by so many people. "We are the real developers of Draconia Online and the cause behind The Great Evolution."

Solarae then explains everything. She has to shorten things quite a bit, but she doesn't oversimplify. Liana is relieved to see that the Divementis don't treat humans as inferior. The only part Solarae omits on purpose is the fact that His Majesty is half-Divementis. However, Miller turns out to be a true detective at heart, good at noticing details.

"Somehow," he remarks, studying Solarae's face and overall body build intently, "you remind me of the Celestial Emperor."

"Well..." Solarae chews her lip and looks at Liana, seeking permission.

"You can't unsee it once you've seen it," Liana sighs and gives her an approving nod.

"That's because the Celestial Emperor is actually half-Divementis," Solarae finishes the sentence.

"The Celestial Emperor is also a telepath?!" Miller is at a loss for words.

"I freaked out when they told me," the Prime Minister admits in an attempt to make him feel better. "If only all those big shots at the UN conference knew. A telepath is a nightmare for politicians."

"Delivery!" Ingri storms into the room, bringing not one but three different pieces of cake.

"Sweet, gimme!" Solarae doesn't shy away despite having onlookers. She grabs a fork and stuffs her mouth.

"So, aliens like cakes? You're okay with human cuisine?" Miller asks, watching Solarae literally ravage the desserts.

"Why wouldn't we?" Solarae replies between munches. "Draconian races do have their specific diets, but sweets are universally loved, aren't they?"

Miller laughs in disbelief. When he woke up this morning, he never would have guessed that he would be watching a telepathic alien gobble a cake just a few hours later.

"Oof, that did the trick," Solarae exhales contently after she ate everything. "My head is still killing me, though. If you excuse me, I'll take a nap now."

She curls under two blankets and falls asleep almost immediately.

"Kat, is this one of those movie-like instances when you're going to tell me that you can't let me go because you would have to kill me?" Detective Miller asks, half-serious and half-joking.

"Yep, I'm afraid so," the Prime Minister pats him on the back. "Don't bother pleading that you have children waiting for you at home. You don't. In fact, your girlfriend has recently broken up with you because she couldn't stand that you're such a workaholic."

"Oversharing in front of other people, y-you!" Miller turns red.

"I'm just saying it so the Viceroy knows that she can put you to work," Katerina smirks and turns to Liana. "Li, Dan is a good guy and a good detective. I vouch for him."

"Relax, Detective, we won't do you any harm," Liana assures him. "We could really use your help, though."

"What do you want me to do?" Miller asks carefully.

"Nothing extreme." Liana shakes her head, trying to imagine what kind of catastrophic scenarios he must be thinking of right now. "It's evident now that we can't put all the pressure on our Divementis colleague. However, since you know our real identity now, we don't have to disguise ourselves in front of you. That alone is a huge help."

"You want me to cover for you. Very well then," Miller agrees. "What's your plan? This works only if I know everything."

"I'm going to visit that tea room undercover," Liana states the obvious.

"You personally?" Katerina frowns. "I don't think that's a good idea, Li."

"The Prime Minister is right, Your Excellency," Soren says. "It's too dangerous."

"I will be in a public space," Liana objects. "You can monitor me and I'm not exactly defenceless."

"Why do you have to do it personally?" Soren doesn't understand. "Your Excellency, you're too important. We can't endanger..."

"I want to do it personally because it's for His Majesty," Liana insists. "Who would you send instead? Would you entrust this mission to a random imperial guard? Would you send Taranah? He can't stand humans and he's in Japan anyway."

"I was thinking about myself," Soren sets the record straight. "I don't think we would even need Solarae to disguise me. My wings aren't unique and humans can't tell subtle differences in our feather patterns. As for my face, while I do appear a lot next to you in public, nobody really pays any attention to me. A simple wig and some makeup will do. We overburdened Solarae unnecessarily today out of comfort and blind faith in her abilities."

Liana ponders. Logically, it sounds like the most practical solution. Soren knows everything about the case, he's part of their inner circle and he's an experienced high-ranking battle mage. He's also naturally friendly towards humans unlike so many Celestials. He's perfect for the job, but for some reason, Liana finds herself hesitating.

Why is that? Is she maybe afraid he could get hurt? Soren is her bodyguard. His job is to protect her—if it would be necessary, even at the cost of his own life—so when did she become concerned for his safety? Unless... he's no longer just her bodyguard. Unless...

"Your Excellency!" Soren suddenly waves his hand in front of her face. "Are you with us?"

Liana blinks and shoves his hand away, frowning. Seriously, this guy! He can be so irritating.

"I was just considering alternatives," she explains impatiently. "Anyway, we still have to report to His Majesty first and ask for his permission."

"Kat, when they call His Majesty—" Miller gulps anxiously, elbowing the Prime Minister.

"I think it's only proper that we introduce you to him since you know his biggest secret now," Katerina says and adds a little joke to lighten the atmosphere a bit: "Wear your best shirt."

***

They spend the afternoon planning for tomorrow's undercover mission, so they are as busy as it gets. Apparently, that tea house is so popular that one needs to make a reservation months in advance. Fortunately, this doesn't apply to Draconians, who are always welcome for obvious reasons. They rarely mingle with humans voluntarily in their free time, so any Draconian coming to visit is appreciated. This certainly makes things easier.

They call His Majesty later in the evening, when it's morning in Japan. Gotrid picks it up and—presuming it's just Liana and Soren routinely reporting—he doesn't bother to put on any decent clothes. In fact, it looks like the Emperor and his consorts are enjoying breakfast in bed.

Liana resists rolling her eyes. It's almost half past eight in Japan. How come they are still in their pyjamas? Annoyance turns into worry quickly, though. What if His Majesty has collapsed again?

"Is His Majesty okay?" she blurts out.

"Yeah, he is," Gotrid assures her. "He had a mild migraine yesterday after training so the Divementis Emperor allowed him to sleep in today."

"I'm fine, really," Aefener pushes Gotrid away, finally appearing on the screen.

His pyjamas are a three-layered robe and he never reveals more of his skin than is necessary, so Liana doesn't have to worry that Detective Miller will see something he shouldn't have. Still, she hoped for a more formal introduction. Nevermind.

"Ehm..." she clears her throat. "Your Majesty, I'm sorry to bother during your rest, but there has been an unexpected development."

"Oh?" Aefener blinks. "I'm listening."

Liana tells him everything in detail and as her report progresses, Aefener gradually becomes more and more upset.

"The sect reveres Draconians?" he frowns. As expected, he doesn't like it one bit. "And me as... as... I don't even want to think about it."

"There's something else," Liana bites her lip.

She tells him about Solarae's help and what followed. At the end, she turns the camera to face Miller. The detective is extremely nervous, but she's more worried about Aefener's reaction. He has always hated it when his telepathy is revealed without his consent.

"I see," he sighs and, surprisingly, just shrugs. "If the Prime Minister trusts him, that's fine, I guess."

Liana was prepared to apologise profoundly for the blunder, but their Emperor seems totally fine with it. If anything, it looks as if he's more interested in the breakfast with his partners, which Liana's phone call had interrupted. Is it because the whole world will learn the truth soon anyway? Or because Aefener trusts that even if his telepathy became known to the world, they would protect him? In any case, Liana is relieved.

"So, you want Soren to go undercover?" Aefener asks to make sure when Liana tells him their plan. "I think he's perfect for that. No offence, Li, but you're not able to act like a commoner."

"Heh," Soren smirks. "Do you hear that, Your Excellency?"

"Okay, geez," Liana purses her lips. "Tomorrow, you go undercover."