As much as I dreaded it, the next day eventually starts.

The first thing I do is visit my mum.

This should be pretty understandable, that I want to look for her when she’s going to this crazy lunatic.

Naturally, all my other family members are as well nervous wrecks.

“Mum, are you really sure about this? If, if I go to the queen and plea to her and promise to do everything she wants she might reconsider.” (E)

Mum just shakes her head.

“Pleease don’t, Erye. You don’t neeed to worrye. Ie’m sure iet will work out.” (F)

If I would just have mum’s confidence.

But I can barely think straight.

The whole time I worry about what could happen to her.

“At least let me send an escort with you. To make sure you’re safe.” (E)

“My princess, it’s not possible for drones to remain in another princess’ district. They’d require special permission and I doubt this would be granted.” (K)

Great, so I can’t even prepare measures of protection.

“Than at least I’ll position some close by, so they can take her back the moment she leaves. Is this fine?” (E)

“Unusual, but yes.” (F)

“Eryie, you don’t neeed to trouble yoursElf.” (F)

“Please, mum. At least this, so I can be the slightest bit assured.” (E)

“Scruh, okay.” (F)

Thank god.

At least she's not going to die on the way.

A short time later a messenger with what I now recognize as the imprint of the queen arrives.

(F)

(messenger)

Seems like mum has to go with him.

With difficult feelings I watch her leave my district.

- Farrah –

Sigh. I put up a strong facade in front of Erys, but actually, I’m totally anxious.

Kyska gave me a little crash course, but I know I really lack the necessary experience.

I think I’ll try giving my best and not incur her wrath.

Apart from that, I doubt I’ll be in any real danger.

The queen might be a lot of things but she's certainly no liar.

And she practically guaranteed my wellbeing.

So there’s nothing to worry about.

The stairs I have to climb are almost too many and for a moment I consider taking one of the workers, Erys sent with me, up on the offer to carry me.

Yet I’m a bit too embarrassed to go through with this.

Instead, I choose to talk to the messenger about my new job.

(F)

(messenger)

Is he serious!?

I mean, talk about pressure.

I barely started settling in here and now I’m without any noteworthy training the sole instance responsible for a princess.

But it’s not like complaining to the messenger would help me in any way.

He's not responsible for this situation.

So I can just march on.

And then I see it.

The same gateway I was brought through back then.

My memory of that day is a bit fuzzy, which might be because I might have a slight trauma, but nothing too severe.

Stationed in front of the gate is a good dozen of guardians.

I notice a difference with the surrounding drones.

Something minor, yet significant.

Something all of them share.

I contemplate this and realize, that they all have Honiu’s mark.

They’re all her brood.

It’s the same with Erys’ ones, with whom I spent quite some time in the nursery.

Speaking of them, the escort Erys sent with me grows kinda agitated.

I worry that Erys’ hostility somehow might have carried over to them and now they see Honiu and her brood as the enemy.

And naturally, they noticed how much Erys worries about me.

They’re composed, but the according pheromones are still present.

I should take care of this.

So before I move in there, I address them in the most soothing way possible.

(F)

(worker)

Oh, Erys. You really have to be careful with your orders.

(F)

At least I would be uncomfortable knowing that someone's waiting the whole time for me with nothing else to do.

And they could get into a fight with Honiu's drones, which has to be avoided.

I receive something like hesitant confirmation from them and think I can go now.

Especially interesting was that I think I could truly soothe them.

However, now I need to enter.

The messenger walks me to the gateway which marks the border to the real district.

(messenger)

I approach the guardians in front of the gate. And without an issue they give way.

In there I notice that districts seem to be built after a similar pattern.

Behind the entrance comes first a great hall or plaza which then to the sides shows many tunnels, leading to the different facilities.

While I don’t perfectly remember everything I still recognize what must be the princess’ chamber.

Before I reach there a nurse receives me, stressed and obviously impatient, so that I know that she waited for me when she comes in my direction.

(F)

(F)

It’s not like she’s glaring daggers at me, nonetheless, I’m a little sad at this welcome.

And I always had a problem when one can’t even follow the basic rules of politeness.

This might be why Rowen stopped trying to speak at all at some point.

(F)

Now she stares at me in bewilderment.

And is maybe a little intimidated.

(C)

I’m at least sure now that she didn’t plan to give me a hard time and only spouted what was weighing on her mind.

It even shows how much she cares, which I hardly can hold against her.

(F)

It would feel awkward to enter alone.

(C)

Without further delay, I move into the chamber.

And directly spot her.

Now that I can receive pheromones her presence became even stronger.

Completely, undeniable present and a bit overwhelming.

And this while she’s still plastered on that bench like back then.

However, this time her focus is completely on me.

Not just mere curiosity, but something more intense.

What I receive from her tells me she’s stressed, tired, and annoyed.

(C)

(H)

She doesn’t seem to be too happy to see me.

(H)

She adjusts her position and reveals two sets of extensive wings.

In anticipation of something like this I brought a cloth with me, so I could do the cleaning.

Kyska reminded me of this, as I lack the specialized claws for this task.

Yet then I notice the fault in my plan when I realize I have now water here.

(H)

A bit helpless I gesture at my hands.

(H)

I become a little more uncomfortable here, and annoyed.

Fortunately, Chitu catches fast up to my intention and takes the rag, which she on-site soaks with the fluid coming from her hands.

I’m still not too sure about this stuff, but it seems to be what the princess wishes to be cleaned with.

Even if I doubt that liquids coming out of the body are clean.

Now with my preparations finished I move behind her and absolutely carefully begin stroking her wings with the rag.

I notice that there is a bit of dirty grime on them which I should concentrate on.

I utilize the technique Kyska showed me back then, by making very small strokes and not applying too much pressure.

I’m now rather glad I could practice this before on Erys.

(H)

The command hammers into my head and immediately I cease my action.

(H)

(F)

It seems she doesn’t want me to continue.

So I don’t.

But my inner turmoil starts getting worse.

Which is bad, as I might end up doing something I’ll regret.

(H)

The convenient part about the pheromones is that I know she’s mostly venting her frustration and it's not even completely directed at me.

However, it’s still stirring my anger.

(F)

I don’t have to look at her to know that Chitu just perked up at what I said.

(H)

Oh, you poor little thing.

No one to stuff your mouth with food, massage your body, and no cleaning for…

Oh wow, one whole day!

What would she do would she live in a farmhouse quite a distance away from the next lake?

It’s almost ridiculous how dependent she is.

(C)

(F)

Different from my expectations Honiu seems slightly amused by my words.

Now I have her attention while she measures me with her gaze.

(H)

It’s weird that she still uses the same standards as those of an insect nurse on me.

She doesn’t even seem to consider that I might hold some animosity towards her after what she did and might be unwilling to serve her.

Could it be, that she simply has no idea about human individualism?

(F)

(H)

She isn’t even considering that I could decline her.

It’s certainly weird.

Yet, if I think about it, Honiu is always here.

Surrounded by her own subordinates who do everything she wants.

She has no other outside contacts and never had to deal with different opinions.

She clearly lacks life experience.

But now she has to deal with me.

A human who certainly isn’t just going to follow her whims and biddings.

Especially after what she did.

Now she has no other choice but to learn some practical experiences about how to deal with others.

Could it be… Was this the queen’s plan all along?

Is she educating her princess?

That’s actually an intriguing idea.

And leaves me just one way to go.

(F)

(H)

(F)

(H)

Now she’s completely bewildered, which slowly turns into frustration.

(F)

(H)

(F)

(H)

(F)

(H)

Urgh, with this she almost got me.

After working in the nursery I naturally don’t want that those babies have to suffer.

Yet I can feel her pheromones.

And they show me this one emotion that was behind her statement.

It concerns her as much as me, maybe even more.

She’s desperate.

(F)

(H)

I jerk up, for a moment willing to do as she says, and clean her.

But soon enough manage to regain control over myself.

But these princess orders are something else.

And did I mention that I dislike being mind-controlled?

(F)

Now I’ve got her.

This at least tells me the stinger that stopped far too close in front of my face and made my heart actually skip a beat.

Yet she stopped, and I know why.

(H)

(F)

She slowly retracts the stinger.

(F)

A long stare in my direction.

A complex array of different pheromones.

She’s clearly shaken.

When she finally speaks she surprisingly addresses the other nurse.

(H)

Chitu is obviously confused at this order, but another glare of her princess accompanied by a push of pheromones makes her move.

As soon she leaves Honiu refocuses me.

(H)

The pheromones tell me she isn’t the slightest bit sorry.

But she didn’t lie.

Rather it’s an obligation that hurts her pride, which was the reason why she made all possible witnesses leave beforehand.

However, I can’t insist on a heartfelt apology here.

The thing is, that she's simply not able to lie about this and I probably would never hear what I want with this approach.

And the unborn babies would bear the consequences.

Also, someone needs to be the adult here.

So I take the still wet cloth and start wiping her down.

Conveniently the rest of her body has this hard carapace, so I'm not at risk to hurt her.

Like this, I can use wider strokes and work a bit more efficiently.

The problem is, that my rag eventually becomes too dry to proceed, even if I have already wiped the most off her body.

(F)

(H)

Urgh, what a thought.

This stuff coming out of my hands.

I don’t even know what this stuff is and after everything that happened she asks to change me even further?

(F)

(H)

(F)

She doesn't answer, but the pheromones speak of agitation, annoyance, and being fed up.

I'm sure she believes she had any right to do this but just chooses not to discuss this topic any further.

Either because this talk isn't to her liking or because she needs me.

Instead, she opts for something else.

(H)

Oh my. Someone still hasn't learned a thing.

On the other hand, I vividly remember how Erys passed out from a lack of energy.

If I'd let her completely succumb this might end up badly for me.

Whatever the queen's intentions are, I'm rather sure it doesn't involve losing a princess.

So I take this chance to get for a moment away from her and leave to fetch her food.