I hate this!

I absolutely hate this!

Mum was just brought away from her place at work by some insects and no one knows where they've left to.

I want to help her.

If I wouldn't be in the middle of laying eggs!

I already feel lighter, but at the same time pressing these eggs out is exhausting.

Even in this state I wanted to rush to my mother's help but wasn't allowed.

I wasn't allowed!!!

Kyska and Miwa even pressed me back on the throne.

Not very difficult, since I without any strength left in my body couldn't do much against this.

They weren't forceful but like this, I could just proceed.

I feel like an egg-laying machine.

I am not even allowed to move when it matters.

However, what I could do was to give the order to find her.

I don't have thirty hunters for no reason.

I could barely perceive what happened, as fast everyone who could in this situation was suddenly gone.

I just hope they got the "alive" part.

One hundred.

One hundred eggs of considerable size.

Ever pressed out one-hundred eggs in a row?!!

My waist feels completely numb and sore at the same time.

The only positive part is that my belly started directly to shrink back, as if it was made to go through such an extension, without suffering from any lasting effects.

With this, I feel so much lighter now.

Yet at the same time completely empty.

Not that I liked my stuffed state but now it feels like all my innards got removed.

And would you believe it, I still cannot move!

This whole session took all my energy, which makes it impossible to stand up again.

Kyska made sure to direct her responsibilities so she could be here when the laying started.

Suki was during that time in charge of the courtyard, while Kyska managed the horror that transpired in this room.

I could just manage to convince Miwa and Kyska to relocate me to a bench, away from that dreaded throne.

Does this thing have to stay there?

It's like a symbol for something I seriously don't want to be reminded about.

At the moment, I can just lie on my side on that bench and try to massage my stomach somehow, without scratching it with my rather sharp nails.

Did I ever mention that they grew, as my nurses abstain from shortening them?

And this has to be done actively, as they are presumably of the same insect carapace material and like this extremely durable.

However, at the moment I don't feel like addressing this in my condition.

It's anyways a little difficult at the moment with Kyska, since she quite much schemed against me recently.

Naturally not with ill intent.

The moment I started this royal guard thing it was already a set event.

Nonetheless, I made sure to tell her that next time I want to be informed in advance about stuff like a throne in my room or this whole setup to put me on this thing during my sleep.

You're asking why I'm collected enough to think about stuff like this when my mother was abducted?

A short time after I gave my order to the hunters to bring her back this instant, a messenger came to inform me that Liseti found her and is on the way to bring her back.

I was asked to revoke my order to the hunters, mostly to prevent bloodshed, as they were rather committed to fulfilling their task.

Naturally, I did so.

Liseti is basically my friend, if that concept can be applied here, and I can for sure trust her to bring my mum back to me.

So letting my hunters rip them apart would be the wrong course of action.

All's well that ends well.

Just need to get rid of that feeling as if my stomach collapses to the inside.

(Sk)

If I could I would directly rush to her, but my legs are too wobbly for this.

All I managed to do was to get up on this bench and order me a blanket to cover my body so I can properly welcome her.

It's not really hard to notice their arrival, as Liseti along with her escort makes more than enough noise to notice.

Yet the first ones to enter are Suki and Kyska.

"My princess..." (K)

What is with her?

She looks so dejected.

"What is wrong?" (E)

I am starting to feel uneasy.

It's rare to see Kyska troubled by something and Suki doesn't look any better.

"Your mother..." (K)

The words hit me badly.

(E)

Didn't Liseti say she would be brought here?

Isn't she alive?

Did something happen?

Was she dismembered?

Disfigured?

Mortally wounded?

What is with my mum?!!

"Please, my princess. You have to calm down." (K)

She talks intentionally in human language to soothe me, however...

(E)

"Please, my princess, you emit too strong pheromones. It's agitating..." (S)

(E)

"W-we will bring her in." (K)

They'll bring her in?

So she's well enough for this?

Then Liseti enters, accompanied by two messengers and... mum!!

She looks well and healthy, yet she is practically covering behind Liseti and I don't know why.

She looks almost afraid.

I inspected my body and nothing looks too unusual.

So why does she hide from me?

"M-mum? What is wrong? I was so worried! I still don't know what happened. Are you fine?" (E)

She looks at me, but her gaze is unsteady and wavers sometimes back to Liseti, who herself seems slightly unsettled.

Which unsettles me even more.

Then mum moves a very short distance in my direction.

She seems to contemplate what to say.

But ultimately she makes a decision.

(F)

"You are alright? God, I'm so relieved. You..." (E)

What was that!?

"C-could you repeat this?" (E)

(F)

I panic.

Mum can't speak!

Even more, I can feel how much this weighs on her.

Wait! I can feel it!?

Pheromones!

Mum emits pheromones!

Why? Why is that so?

Everyone is so serious!

Is that permanent?

Am I the reason?

Is all of this my fault?

Mum starts to cover her head with her hands as if she is totally devastated.

She also retreats from me.

So it is my fault?

Is she angry with me?

(L)

I, I am hurting mother?

So this was why she held her head?

She is already in a bad state and I scream everything down.

But why can she feel this?

Just Formicea should be able to sense pheromones or emit them or talk in creaks.

Just what did happen?!

(L)

This suggestion might sound cruel, throwing mum out while she is in that state, but the intention is reasonable.

Liseti's point is that, as agitated as I am I will just make everything worse for her.

And she is right.

I can barely contain myself.

(E)

I can't help it that my tone turns dark.

I really have to strain myself here.

"Immediately my princess. Miss Farrah, would you accompany us?" (K)

She nods.

Probably because she doesn't want to speak.

I wait till they are out.

Then I turn to Liseti.

(E)

I know that my mind can barely keep up, while I wait for Liseti to start explaining what lead to my mother's state.

From the looks alone, I can assume that she wasn't involved.

Mum even clung to her during my prior outburst.

She wouldn't do that to the one who harmed her.

This means someone else is at fault.

(E)

I don't even bother anymore with human speech.

It feels like my fury wouldn't get through.

(L)

Okay. I have a name.

Not that it would help me in any way to direct my rage.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

"What will you do with this information?> (L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

The most terrible is that it reminds me so much about what the queen did to me.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

This is no nice thought.

In general, it seems like a princess is just a facility to them.

She shall have no thoughts of her own and can just like this be taken and installed at another place.

And this while they told me my wishes would be respected.

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(E)

(L)

(L)

(L)

(E)

(L)

Helping mum or getting killed by the hive's soldiers for insubordination.

Not really a choice.

(L)

She won't lie to me.

Yet this isn't as assuring as I had hoped for.

It meant if she can't help it then she can't.

(E)

With this, she leaves and I head to my mum.