The battle seemed to drag on interminably, then progress in fits and starts, suddenly having moved into the next stage and leaving only the broken rubble of previous obstacles behind.

Janis was familiar with the phenomenon, but she thought it only happened if she was fighting herself, not if she was simply standing and pacing outside, watching and listening to the fight. Apparently, she was wrong.

Of course, she’d spent most of the time immersed in the psychic link. She only stayed out of it long enough to talk to Kiara, to keep her updated on what was happening and attempt to be there for and support her. She found it grounding, as well. But Kiara was the one seeing the people of her kingdom fighting, in a conflict against her father, devouring the capital of her country.

Janis hadn’t truly considered Cernlia her home for a while now, if she ever truly had. She had no attachment to the concept of the country the same way that highborns tended to have.

Kiara shifted and their gazes met. She smiled slightly, before she seemed to follow Janis’ attention and her expression morphed into a faint frown.

“You used to live here, didn’t you?” she asked quietly.

Janis turned to look at the city again rather than keep meeting Kiara’s eyes. She wasn’t surprised that she remembered, although she was a little surprised at the topic being brought up. She hadn’t thought about it. “Yes, but I don’t remember all that much about it,” Janis answered.

Now that she had been reminded of it, the memories she did have came back to the forefront of her mind. She had lived in one of the better quarters of the city with her parents. They’d been gone for weeks at a time on occasion, and sent her to a boarding home close by, a combination school and orphanage with space for guests like her. It was rather revolutionary, or so she’d been told. For some reason, she remembered it better than her own home. Although she did still remember her parents; her mother’s smile, her father’s grin when he took her to the market and gave her an extra sweet or a little trinket. He’d looked rather like she did now, Janis remembered, and she wondered how she hadn’t realized much earlier that he couldn’t have had pure human ancestry. Maybe she had and hadn’t wanted to admit it.

“Do you want to seek out your old home, once we’re able to go into the city?” Kiara asked.

Janis hesitated for a moment, then shook her head. “No. It’s all in the past now. There’s nothing for me there anymore.”

Kiara frowned, but didn’t press the issue. Janis could tell that she didn’t understand how she felt, but that was fine. It was complicated and she wasn’t entirely sure how she felt about it herself. She hadn’t allowed herself to think too much about her parents, and even going back to the city hadn’t broken through any dams or anything. I suppose a part of me still resents them for leaving me alone, but I’m an adult now and I have more perspective. It wasn’t like her parents had chosen to get themselves killed adventuring. Janis just didn’t think she owed them much, either.

“The battle seems to be going well,” Kiara said, changing the subject.

“It is, we’ve already won and it’s almost over,” Janis agreed, focusing back on the flow of the battle.

Then she froze, her eyes widening as she felt Regina’s mental presence again, drawing her attention to a particular part of the battlefield once more. It felt like Regina was letting some of what she herself sensed shine through, giving a lot more details than Janis would usually pick up from the psychic link, and in a more vivid way, too. It was incredible and she knew she’d at least try to look at options of learning psychic skills herself once this was over. For now, though, it let her track who they’d been keeping an eye on for a while.

“We should move,” she muttered, looking at Kiara again. “It’s almost over. I’ll go.”

“I’ll come with you,” Kiara immediately replied.

Janis hesitated. “I’m not sure —“

“I don’t want to stay around here any more than you do,” Kiara interrupted. “Besides, we’ll have enough guards it will be perfectly safe, it’s not as if I will simply be joining the battle. And I need to do this personally.”

After a moment, Janis nodded, then turned to pick her way through the ranks of the reserves waiting by their princess. Kiara held out her hand and Janis allowed her to take hers, guiding her partner through.

Squires brought a pair of horses for them, and they mounted quickly. Janis was a fair rider, and Kiara even better, so they had no trouble getting out of the camp and crossing the field, falling into a trot. Several of Kiara’s most trusted knights accompanied them with a curt order from her, flanking the two of them to provide protection, and flying drones circled overhead. Janis dipped briefly into their minds to look through their eyes and assess the state of the battlefield. The fighting was winding down in most cases, in the outer parts of the city and by the walls. The palace had been taken by a mix of Delvers and drones, with Cernlian reinforcements quickly coming. Overall, nothing required their attention too urgently, and she picked her way to avoid any remaining knots of fighting or large congregations of enemy troops. It wasn’t hard, given the state of things.

Finally, they got close and she held up a hand, signaling everyone to slow down. Janis slowed her horse to a walk and held the reins loosely in one hand. She could see Kiara similarly leaving her hands free while she guided her horse with her legs, ready to use her weapons. The knights, seeming a bit confused and apprehensive, readied themselves for a fight.

Janis exhaled and focused on her magic, slightly spreading it through her surroundings in a trick she’d copied from a few Cernlian mages she’d seen with the army. It helped her natural mana sensitivity. Beside her, she saw Kiara stiffen and turn her head, eyes focusing on the same spot, her superior senses for mana getting the same results. Janis flicked a hand and loosened a Magic Missile.

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It landed with a yelp that quickly cut off, but the damage was done. Whatever illusion their enemies had used was pierced, revealing several men who had just managed to sneak out of the city. They were still in the shadows of the wall, and she suspected they’d climbed over it, given the bulge around one of them that would fit a rolled-up hempen rope. But her attention was drawn to the center of the small group.

One of them was just a soldier, perhaps someone they’d picked up on the way. One was a mage, she could tell that even without looking, and presumably the one who’d cast the invisibility. The System didn’t tell her his level and she didn’t recognize the name, Jason Thorn, while Sorceror was a very broad Class. One was a Knight. The man he was protecting, though, was exactly who they had come here to find.

“Father,” Kiara smiled sharply. “Fancy seeing you here.”

Lyns stared at her, stone-faced. Then his gaze passed over their accompanying knights and came to rest on Janis. “I suppose this is what you spurned my arrangements for you for, Kiara.” The disdain in his tone was clear. “And you think yourself queen?”

“Marquis Lyns,” Janis drawled. “I wish I could say it’s a pleasure to see you again, but it would be a blatant lie.”

“Regardless of my opinion on your ridiculous betrothal arrangement, at least I never hurt my own child,” Kiara answered. “Not that you will get the chance to do it again. Surrender and you will live to see another day.”

His face twisted slightly. “Surrender? And give up everything? What guarantee do I have that you won’t simply kill me?”

“I am not you,” Kiara replied with a sardonic smile. “I’m not in a hurry to kill a family member simply because they pose a potential threat to my position.” She raised an eyebrow, then turned to look at his followers. “This goes for all of you. Throw down your blades and you will be spared. This is the last chance you will be given.”

There was a moment of silent tension, and Janis wondered which way they would jump. The other men exchanged a quick look. The soldier took a step back and dropped his sword, holding his hands up in surrender. The knight made to ready his weapon, but a second later, he toppled forward and slumped bonelessly to the ground. The mage kicked his sword aside and then knelt on the ground raising his hands and folding them behind his neck. He didn’t have a weapon.

“Well, I suppose that answers this,” Janis commented with a small smile. It masked the unease at considering whether Kiara’s followers would do the same.

“You cannot —“ Lyns sputtered for a moment. “I suppose you think you have won, now, but it won’t be this easy for you, Kiara.”

“Perhaps.” Kiara turned her gaze to the still-kneeling Sorceror. “I take it you wish to end your allegiance to him in favor of me?”

“Yes, Your Majesty,” he answered, in a quiet but calm voice. “Long live the Queen of Cernlia.”

Janis hid a snort and Kiara raised an eyebrow. “Bring him here, then,” she invited him.

Unceremoniously, the Sorceror stood and grabbed Lyns. The deposed would-be king of Cernlia was pushed towards them, clearly struggling to maintain some dignity and not putting up a fight so he wouldn’t have to be dragged kicking and screaming. Thorn kicked him and he fell to his knees in front of them with a glare that would have had them all combusting into ash if looks could kill. Kiara, like Janis herself, was still mounted, which only emphasized the height difference.

“What will you do with me now?” Lyns asked after a moment through gritted teeth.

“For now, you will be my prisoner,” Kiara answered calmly. She nodded at two of their knights, including Sir Wilard, who dismounted to take custody of the Marquis. “We will see what shall become of you.”

Janis knew that wouldn’t be so simple. In many ways, it would have been easier if Lyns had died in the fighting at some point. As long as he lived, he would have a claim to the Cernlian throne, one that was arguably better than Kiara’s. Execution would solve that and might be suitable if they convicted him of deliberately killing his cousin while he was Lyns’ prisoner, but that would still involve Kiara ordering her father’s death and would cast a shadow on her reign. Exile might be the best choice, but they needed to find a destination where he wouldn’t be immediately killed or used by their enemies, or in a position to eventually raise an army to reclaim his throne.

Perhaps if we send him across the Atlantic, Janis considered. Regina has been wanting to send an expedition, or at least a few people to see what we can learn about those lands. It’s not something we could do right now, though. She shook her head. They’d figure it out, if that was an option, she was just glad it wasn’t her problem.

“Let’s go,” Kiara said quietly. Janis glanced at her and saw the exhaustion hidden in the lines of her face. She gave her a small smile and turned her horse to ride back to their command post with her. Behind them, Kiara’s escort took charge of the other prisoners while two knights guarded Lyns.

When they came back, their return caused a bit of a stir. She should have expected as much. Many soldiers had actually seen Lyns before, and he was clearly recognizable now, even with the obvious pall of defeat.

Most of the soldiers they saw cheered. At least they knew which side they were now on. Or maybe they were smart enough to know this meant the end of the war, Janis supposed.

She closed her eyes for a moment, focusing on Regina. We got Lyns, she reported.

I saw, Regina replied, with a bit of amusement. Well done. You’ve represented the hive very well, Janis.

Thank you. Janis hesitated for a moment. Where do you want me after the battle?

I presume you’d like to stay with Kiara?

Yes, I would, she responded, without having to think about it for very long.

That only increased the amusement Regina felt, and which she was letting show through the psychic link. Well, it wouldn’t do to keep you from your beloved paramour, then, would it?

Janis snorted. She shook her head as she caught Kiara’s eyes and tried to control her expression, not wanting to have to explain that joke. Shouldn’t it be me being her paramour, if anything? I mean, a better term than ‘mistress’, I suppose … she trailed off.

Maybe not as much as you think, Regina said gently. You’re one of the hive’s best commanders. One of my most trusted. In a way none of the drones can be, in fact. You have a very high rank in the Starlit Hive, even if we’ve never bothered to give it an official designation. And your competence or status is hardly confined to the hive.

Regina — Janis frowned, delving deeper into the psychic link and the connection to her friend and queen. You sound like you’re trying to get at something else, but I don’t understand.

Don’t worry about it. This isn’t something I should be doing over the psychic link.

What is it?

Regina had obviously clamped down on the connection from her end, not letting much of her emotions or thoughts through. Her mental voice was still clear, though, even if she refused to give Janis any hints of what she might be planning, if anything. We’ll talk about it once we can speak in person.

Alright. And when will that be? The battle is almost over, are you coming into the city?

Yes, as soon as Max deems it safe. Regina’s iron grip on the link loosened, and Janis could guess she was slightly relieved at the change of subject. I still need to wait for all the fighting to die down completely, and then I’ll speak to Kiara in her camp before going into the city after it’s been secured.

Janis nodded, turning to Kiara to do her job and relay that information. She was looking forward to having all of them back together.