2 weeks before the confession.
"Thank you for drinking with me, if I had to say you're the closest to a friend I can rely on for taking care of me while I am drunk for the first time." Said Aki with a soft smile to his Queen.
"Just cuss I drink so much doesn't mean I know how to take care of other drunk people. If you try something inappropriate I will knock you out though." Said the woman who just sat down in front of him while filling their cups. "To your first drink."
"Probably one of many!" He hit his cup against hers and gulped it down.
"Strange, I thought it was supposed to burn more?"
"No, it's burning jackass, your face and throat are pure red!" She said with some worry, she only ever got like that when deaf drunk, but he just drunk one cup of one of her weaker drinks. Granted it's… "Oh shit!" looking again, he probably just drunk the equivalent to four bottles of booze for a normal person.
*Thunk* He fell on his side and Fang immediately went to him.
"Hugs!" And he immediately proceeded to use all his strength to hug her.
The good new is that he is apparently good with alcohol so he didn't immediately vomit or drop out.
"You smell just like mom! All that self righteousness, casualness, pride and love that I grew up with! I always told her to try and take a job in the government, but she never listened and just took care of our family you know? That dummy! But it's fine, if you are like her in this sense then you will be the best queen ever! Your skin is so soft I just want to never let you go! Your hair is so lustrous I want to play with it! You're…"
The bad news, if you want to say so, is that Aki apparently gives into his wishes and speaks them out loud while drunk. And he just hit onto some of the queen's worries.
Internally she was like 'I remember him his mother!? Is that why he is always so touchy? He really thinks I am a good queen? Hey, stop chewing my hair, only I can do that!'
"Hey, stop biting my hair, only I can do that!" Is what she said.
At this moment, in some other parts of the palace…
'I also want to hug her majesty! Even if he is the hero…' Thought a shadow guard while repeatedly punching an enemy spy in the face while mounting him.
'To be able to freely smell the queen's hair… Unforgivable!' Thought another while exchanging hits with four people and suddenly bustling with energy and suppressing all of then.
'That is practically a confession! Even I… even I can do it too!' Resolved another shadow, who would try and confess tomorrow. Again. By the way, this here is the captain of the shadows, she is currently preparing to infiltrate a highly dangerous and illegal auction.
As for her success… well, she didn't actually confess at the next day, but everyone in the auction that didn't get captured was killed, so there's that.
*****
Waking up with a headache, dry mouth, foul mood wasn't something new to Aki, so he simply got up was looked for his flip flops, then he remembered where he was.
"Ohhh, I see you woke up boy, care to drink so more with this big sister?" asked the queen while looking a little red.
It could be because she noticed "That" after he woke up, but it was more likely to be because of the six bottles of wine she had beside her. *pop* that was her opening a new one after putting the seventh on the pile.
"Sure" he said while trying to get up, but he rapidly fell. Pouting at the giggling Queen, he started crawling to her. After reaching her he said "Nya" and rubbed his head to her arm. Just like an actual cat too.
"Kitty!" and she scratches his chin while smiling, but he soon said "Nya" again and shook his head, crawled over her legs and got her other hand to his nape. After she started scratching it, he purred, no, like an actual cat too, not a drunk human.
"Your hair feels great. And you're so cold too, it goes well with some drinks in a hot night." She said and found it strange that the feeling in her hand suddenly changed while she talked. "A big kitty! You're so much fluffier right now!" She said and buried her face in the mane of the lion that suddenly transformed in front of her.
Please, do remember these are 2 "adults" that are relatively still conscious of their own actions.
"Good kitty!" Said the woman using both her hands to scrub the belly of the lion in front of her, who had a bottle of normal alcohol up his mouth and was gurgling it up in one go.
Definitely will remember this on the following day. I'm serious.
*Glurrr*
It's not everyday you see a lion vomiting booze in a balcony after all. He did try not to vomit on the floor, but failed halfway through.
"You look so dead right now, Hahahaha…" said the queen while laughing her ass off.
*****
Waking up a second time on that same day, Aki heard the soft snores of a woman who was sleeping while facing the wrong way and groggily got up to shove or push his mother to a better position while trying not to wake her up.
"That's about how I saw things. I didn't know you were in your undergarments, but if it helps, I am from a country where these could very well be considered normal clothes. It's just a top, it's not like I saw your…" *Pow* That was a pillow, not a punch.
"I know you idiot, but that doesn't help at all. Just give me some time to calm down." Said the queen before gulping some medicine.
"I guess we could use the chance for a talk then. I don't know if anyone noticed it yet, but I'm bi." He said, not getting a response from the queen nor the two women holding blades up his throat. "There's no expression that equals what I said, is there? Fair enough. That means I both like man and woman. Any questions?" The woman to his left raised her hand and he nodded at her since he could not tell if Fang wanted to ask something or was having a mute panic attack, since she didn't say anything and was behind a paper shuttle, for her guards sake, while making various erratic hand movements.
This narrative has been purloined without the author's approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.
"How… how can you be so confident with something like that?" Shily asked the deputy constable. You may or not have guessed by the title, she's part of the that a interrogation and torture department.
"My world has what we call a high end pornography industry. That means that coupled with some other technologies, any can have access to recordings, pictures and techniques of several normal or professional people in this industry. That, of course, includes all types of combinations." He swiftly explained.
"I think I understand." Said the woman blushing behind the mask.
"You sure? I have plenty of material on my cell phone, so if you'd like to test yourself…" he tried to offer, but Fang was finally back to herself.
"Wait, why's that relevant? Sure I didn't expect it, but that isn't a problem as long as you don't cause a scene." She said. While it may sound homophobic, do remember they are public figures, so what she thinks doesn't matter.
"Well, it's mostly because now there's a chance I may have a boyfriend. Back home I'd simply pass as heterosexual cuss there wasn't any guy I'd ever be interested in, but if I just walk down the corridor than there will be one or more hot guys in tidy uniforms and a pleasant face and cute face, if I go down to the barracks there will be a hall full of manly guys training weaponry full of resolve in their eyes and big… feet, no need to get another weapon to my face." He explained.
Tch, xianxia characters and their androgynous-ness, if that's a word.
"That doesn't matter, just be sure not to go whoring around." Said the tomato.
"I'm a man of romance dear, I would not do something like that unless I was drugged. By the way, shoot one of those hangover medicines to me, it's like I drank a whole pot of coffee." He said and got a pill thrown down his throat. "By the way, I also prefer strong willed woman with a gentle undertone. Add a six pack and…" And he got hit in the head by a hammer, getting knocked out. If only it was a brick instead…
By the way, I don't think I've explained it before, but Fang isn't especially beautiful, if you ignore the magical part of it, course.
A cute face that got defined by hard work, lean arms with a few muscles, black straight hair, barely B cup, all in all she'd be considered a tall 8/10 asian in her early twenties. Around 178 cm in height I mean. With a six pack.
While very tall for a normal asian woman on earth, breaking through realms does actually make you taller, so she's just a bit taller than the norm. Aki himself already grew five cm, getting him to 186, and even then he is just on the norm for someone with his built.
*****
A week before the confession. In the queen's study.
"Yo, check this out Fang, some people are sending marriage proposals to you again, this one even has a picture of the prince! Seriously, do these pompous idiots not learn? Let me see let me… oh my gods, if you don't marry this guy than we sure need to kidnapt him. Maybe if we experiment on him we can cure your beauty." He said and showed her the picture of a man that can only be described as the son of heaven.
Luckily I am sure not gay, since I am the only one actually seeing him, cause plenty of man who second guess their sexuality. Women? It's a son of heaven! Rich, smart, talented and handsome. Half the ones on earth would scream and fangirl, the actually smart ones would be enchanted for a while, and only those who have experience or are gay would ask "He sure as hell is pretty, but what of his personality?"
And those are the exact words of Queen Wang Bai Fang.
"Exactly why I didn't say I'd marry him instead. He practices the heartless Dao." Aki explained.
"Gives a lot of power quickly but takes your feelings away the more you progress. I wonder if he really has pretends. They probably think I need help after all the pressure those idiots are putting through silverlight." Silverlight is the country to the north.
"Is that what people think the heartless Dao does? Fang, you don't lose your emotions because of some Dao, you choose it because you're a son of a bitch who only thinks about having a nice ass. Being heartless refers to having no loved one besides oneself. It gives lots of power easily because that easy to do for someone that would already choose it." he calmly said.
Hearing that, the queen considered and realized he was probably right.
"Since we're talking about it, did you already choose a Dao? The time is nearing for those of power to make a choice." She said seriously.
"Sweety, of course I did. And you're gonna love it. By the way, how does talking with this way change my voice in your language?" He tried to say with a british accent.
"You… kind of sound hot? What the… it's like you're some bard and I just feel like spending the whole day hearing you talk." Said the confused woman. Do understand that to her this might as well seem like a voice changing or charm technique. Something she is supposed to be immune both cuss of her strength and her constitution.
"Perfect, then consider yourself housing this world's first brit! That'll be charming for you, I assure. Though I'll try to rein in the pompous prick part. Not everyone talks like that in the United kingdoms, I swear." He said with a melowy voice. Tch, doing it like this sure makes it sound easy, like he didn't practice for hours looking at a mirror.
"By the way, why are you actually here this early?" Asked the queen for the third time this morning.
"Fine, I'm helping Mary with her husband's birthday present. I got her the key to lock their bedroom and found someone to cover for them. In her case, me. After all, who better than the hero for attending to the queen's needs." He said with a wink.
"Go get me coffee." She said while wearing a pissed face and waving him away."
"Here." Without missing a beat he perfectly bowed while serving her a cup. "You can do more than look you know…" He said as she looked at his partially exposed chest. Thank the loose dressing.
What? Not all secretaries are sluts, but that doesn't mean they can't be.
Blushing a little, Fang moved her gaze back to her table and took her cup.
With a move of his shoulder and bit of Qi, Aki’s clothes were back to normal.
"Since we're here anyway, let's discuss that university I suggested. I'm sure I can blackmail enough sages, clan masters and merchants to finance and help, so I was thinking that we could first focus on making regional schools for children for free up to a certain level, focusing on the basics, ignoring arts to a certain point as it is inevitable at the start, and use the chance to start our indoctrination program for nationalism by the south most territory. The current relatorries indicate heavy movement from the local forces, especially 'them', and I already formulated an action plan to make the least casualties from all parties involved. I just need your signature. After you read it I'd like to talk to you about something important though."
Getting serious again, the queen took the folder of documents and stared intensively at the thirty pages thick resume in front of her.
Five minutes later.
"Are you sure about this? There's a lot of if in here." Asked the queen while giving him a look of 'This doesn't seem like you at all'.
"Fufufu… of course, after all, the 'dame is someone just like me, I know what she think. Besides, she is expecting. And it's not her husband's child. When I came to her with my offer… well, she loved the idea of helping her country while giving her child a brighter future. There are no ifs. I made sure of it. A secret is only as well kept as its weakest link. Don't you agree? Aaah… well, let's get to a lighter subject. Fang, how many children would you like to have?"
"I… I don't really want children." The queen was got with her guard down on such topic.
"Do you just not want to give birth or were you faking it when you played with little Rong?" He asked with a sweet smile while tilting his head to the side a bit.
"*sigh* I guess you wouldn't really care for something like this, would you? I am just afraid of the pain and from how bad a mother I'd be. There, I said it!"
"Dear, while I m an hipocrital man, i was raised by three good woman, my grandfather and my uncle. All important to me. My mom wasn't the best, but she sure tried and she sure made me someone much better than the complete murder hobo I'd be if raised by my father. He's not that bad a person, just not fit to raise someone like me." He took her left hand between his hands. "And you are very damn much a smarter woman than she was before I put some selfishness into her, so even if you'd be a terrible mother, which would be impossible while all the people that care for you are around, you can always use that genius brain of yours to learn." He took the table between then into his ring and hugged the woman with misty eyes, patting her head when some water fell in his robe. "And there goes another epiphany, fuck this is gonna stink."