I rested for a while in my alcove.

The whole last day, or rather interval as there's no way to tell the time here, was agitating, strenuous, and overall simply too much.

So I'd wish for things to calm down.

I still don't know what to do with Honiu.

My general impression is that she's batshit crazy.

The issue is, she's powerful.

The chance that she'd again harm my family is small but still present.

And I have no real way to prevent this from happening.

I don't even know how I would confront her.

I would want to punish her somehow for what she did, but that would just trigger her.

The only permanent solution would be killing.

Yet aside from the obvious issues regarding my ability to do so and the fact that there would be severe repercussions I'm simply no killer.

Planning someone's death in cold blood is simply not my way.

Well, my blood might have lost temperature and is green but that's not changing my point.

So at least I want a way to protect my loved ones from any harm.

If I would just know about a safe way.

However, I can at least look for them.

Overall it seems fine.

To my dismay, Toris plays again with the hunters, so I had to pull him away from them.

Without using mind-control shouts that is.

Mum looks quite fine and again started to regularly go to the nursery.

Dad has more problems to fit in, but nothing too severe.

I walk around my courtyard to make sure nothing happens.

Especially that Toris won't sneak back to the hunters.

Did I mention that their numbers grow daily?

Yet suddenly there's a commotion.

My workers which by now almost entirely replaced the old drones gather at the entrance, forming a wall.

(?)

Message? What does that mean?

I see Suki approaching the commotion.

Well, she is in charge of the courtyard, so she can also manage the mail.

Promptly she separates from the bulk and rushes straight in my direction.

"My princess, you're needed!" (S)

Now I'm growing worried.

My presence is necessary?

It seems my wish for a calm day wasn't well received.

Still, I walk to the bulk and notice a messenger.

Who else would deliver a message?

Slowly I approach.

Afraid about what it's going to tell me.

At a certain distance, it starts to focus on me.

"Hello?" (E)

"Princess Ery, your attendance is requested." (messenger)

Huh?!

"Attendance? Requested? By whom? And where?" (E)

"The queen wishes that you visit her. You're required to come at short notice." (messenger)

The queen?

The queen?!

Why would she want to see me now?

I've tried as well as I could to avoid her.

For good reason.

Even if I wouldn't have a slight but completely understandable trauma I wouldn't know how to interact with her in the first place with our more than complicated relationship.

Or if there are certain rules of common courtesy towards her.

The simple fact that she one-sided forced most drastic changes on my body and made me her subordinate or rather her possession, according to Liseti, without any say on my side, really isn't inducing the most positive feelings towards her.

And now that one wants to see me?

I'm a bit at a loss.

However, I guess I don't have much of a choice.

(E)

It stares for a short moment at me.

(messenger)

Oh, this gets better and better.

Great, now they pull Temia as well into this mess.

I hope this isn't about how she threatened Honiu with her sword.

This certainly isn't going to let this proceed more smoothly.

Yet something tells me that disobeying the leader of millions upon millions of giant insects isn't the smartest decision.

(E)

The messenger stares at me as if failing to get my question.

(messenger)

I should have known.

Seems like I need to introduce Temia to everything on our way.

A headache forms at sudden unexpected chaos which I'm forced to deal with.

(E)

The messenger doesn't really react, but I feel like he's expecting me that everything I have to do, to do it now.

Fine, fetching Temia it is.

I move to her quarters, before stopping.

If I've got one thing by now, then that she doesn't like it if one enters it just like this.

And we have no doors to knock on.

I need to change that.

Then I get an idea.

Temia should be able to hear me.

With an especially strong image, I start.

(E)

After a short time, I perceive something.

"What the actual fuck was this?!" (T)

Ehk, wording Miss noblewoman.

I'm quite certain that isn't part of courtesy education.

But she seems to be agitated.

"I send you a pheromone message. Was that not okay?" (E)

"No! Not okay! Ever sat on a bench and suddenly got jerked away by the sudden impulse to dash to the entrance? Damnit, what's the meaning of this?!" (T)

Maybe I should have contemplated this a little longer.

I'm still getting used to how my pheromones mess with humans.

And having pheromones in general.

"You, ehk. We shall meet someone important. You could say an audience of the highest degree." (E)

"What do you mean?" (T)

(messenger)

"Huh? Queen? What queen? What is this about." (T)

"Ehk, I'm telling you on the way. And... your sword, please leave it here." (E)

Not that it would be anything else but a toothpick to the queen, but that's even more of a reason not to displease her by bringing weapons to a meeting.

"What's going on? Can I accompany you?" (O)

"Sorry, Olira. Guess this is supposed to be a private meeting." (E)

"Here, please watch it. And dare you if it's gone when I return." (T)

I was worried that it would be harder to separate Temia from her weapon, yet she seems to catch up with the situation.

Like this, the rather urging messenger moves in front of us and we have to follow.

While a quickly forming escort likewise follows us.

"Now tell me what this is about." (T)

"Yes, sorry. You see, I maybe wasn't entirely honest. Princesses aren't exactly the most important individuals." (E)

A light spark of annoyance, but not too severe.

"Care to elaborate?" (T)

"We're basically subordinates to the queen. Our negotiations and offers in Olira were sincere, but the queen is the one big deciding factor. And how big she is..." (E)

"You're saying that if the queen now decides that she would rather wage war, that's what's going to happen?" (T)

"I wouldn't say it's this grim. As far I know she should have sufficient surveillance to have an inkling about what's going on in the hive. Since all humans are still alive I'd say we're at least tolerated. So it all comes down if you make a good impression. I guess she's a bit whimsical." (E)

"What prospects." (T)

Slowly we ascend to the upper layers and I become more tense with each step.

Partly because of the severity of the situation but mostly because I'm going to meet the monster again that transformed me in the first place.

"Is something wrong with you? Anything I should know?" (T)

I guess I should mention a piece of particular information.

"You should know... the queen looks a bit imposing. Let's say it like this. It's impressive enough to cause you recurring nightmares for a while.> (E)

Now I've got her worried.

"What does this entail in detail?" (T)

"In the first place that your neck is going to get stiff. Very stiff from looking straight upwards for a while." (E)

"So she's big? How big?" (T)

"Big enough that a seventeen years old girl still barely got over this terrifying experience. Seriously, it's not like I had a tape line with me when I got pierced by her spear tail." (E)

"You're saying..." (E)

"Yes, we're going to meet the one who's responsible for all this. So sorry, but I'm right now an angsty mess." (E)

We move a bit further and slowly I think that I recognize these passages.

And with them comes all the dread I felt back then.

And eventually, we reach the great hall in front of the one where all began.

With the same elite squad of guardians, I remember from back then.

I really don't want to go in there.

(guardian)

He's referring to my escort.

Seems like there is a no-threats rule.

I look worried towards Temia.

"Ready to meet the source of your future nightmares?" (E)

I can at least see that she's a bit distressed.

"She's... not going to sting me as well, right? Nothing against you, but..." (T)

"I... I don't think so. I don't know for sure, but I'd say that there are prerequisites for making princesses. Otherwise, the underworld would be flooding with them and everything soon die as it becomes too cramped to sustain the numbers. And well, the last princess wasn't created too long ago." (E)

I say so while pointing at me.

Fine, here goes nothing.