The Bee Dungeon

The King, having filled his domain with new and incredible wonders, called the meeting to an end and retired to his chambers. The karnuq representative left as well. The First of the Fifth considered including her but decided to hold off. She had not yet secured the cooperation of the other queens, so it was not yet time.

The First of the Fifth thus began to dance before the rest of the queens dispersed. Fortunately, they were all investigating the King’s newest flower, and so still concentrated together.

“Have proposal, can meet now?”

The queens danced the affirmative and returned as one to the Memorial. The Conduit remained as well, watching over their meeting. The Firstborn danced first.

“What’s First of Fifth’s proposal?”

The First of the Fifth didn’t hesitate before beginning the dance that could change everything.

“Shortcuts mean all hives close, all flowers close now. All hives can gather from all flowers if want. Queens and gardeners should gather and coordinate foraging. Ensure maximum honey production, cross-pollination for all flowers, and avoid competition.”

The First of the Fifth then paused. Now was the moment she hesitated, for she knew that she asked a lot. To take additional time out of the queens and gardeners’ busy days to meet was already a sacrifice. To pool resources, for each individual hive to surrender its claim to its local flowers? That was unthinkable. But the First of the Fifth knew, too, that the King loved all bees to an unthinkable degree. So, she felt that it was acceptable, nay, appropriate even, for the King’s bees to take unthinkable measures. That all may grow together as the King desired. So, she prepared herself. She recalled all the arguments and reasoning she had thought up before this moment, and moved to convince all of the other queens, many of which she had held in contempt, that this idea was…

“Ok!”

“…what?”

The Fourth of the Seventh repeated her dance.

“Ok!”

The First of the Fifth stood completely still. The Fourth of the Seventh…agreed? Just like that? Well, this was the queen that freely gave of her honey to the First of the Fifth’s daughter, and then joined their hives together, so perhaps she was unusual from the start. Still, having one supporting queen was certainly beneficial. It should hopefully make it easier for her to convince the others. So, she turned to the Firstborn, who surely would be the toughest one to…

She found the Firstborn already dancing.

“I agree, is good idea! Hive of hives should forage as one.”

Now the First of the Fifth truly froze, her mind going blank. In all of her predicted outcomes of this talk, not in a single one did she imagine the Firstborn agreeing with her. So, accordingly, she had no idea how to respond to this situation. The Firstborn, the oldest among them, the one who led the King’s army, just agreed to give up all her authority over the Flower Meadow’s resources? Agreed to spend her time on meetings which could have been used raising or training more soldiers? All for an idea proposed by the First of the Fifth, who had done all in her power to usurp the Firstborn? The First of the Fifth did not know how to react.

But, well, time spent in shock was time wasted, so the First of the Fifth’s mind resumed soon enough. If the Firstborn was convinced, the Flower Meadow would surely follow. Indeed, the other queens of the Flower Meadow were dancing their support. Which meant, all she had to do was convince the remaining queens. The bumblebee queens were…currently running rapidly in a circle around the gathering of queens. Well, she expected as much from them. And that just left…the Third of the Sixth, newly appointed queen over the Lava Field, and then the rest of the Apiary queens.

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The Second of the Sixth danced first.

“Yes, am willing. As long as flowers shared fairly.”

The rest of the Apiary queens followed suit, and the Third of the Sixth had no objections as well. The First of the Fifth was once again stunned into silence.

All of the queens…agreed? Just like that? Without her giving even a single one of her arguments or reasons? She…had known the Firstborn talked about an idea of a hive of hives. She had not known that all the other queens committed to the idea to this degree. She found herself at a loss. Had she been…the only queen to think differently?

But while the First of the Fifth was pondering her entire life’s efforts one more, the conversation carried forward. The First of the Second from the Flower Meadow danced next.

“Need a queen to coordinate. Nominate First of the Fifth.”

The Firstborn danced the affirmative.

“Is good idea. First of the Fifth well organized, good at honey production.”

The First of the Fifth snapped out of her haze and spun around, unable to comprehend the proceedings. She, too, knew that it would best to have an overall coordinator. She also believed herself to be the most suitable queen for the job. One look at the Flower Meadow queens’ honey production methods would convince anyone of that, and the King himself had already ordered her to organize foraging and specialization for the Apiary. But, even so, she had not planned to take up the task, nor to nominate herself for it. She knew that she had misperceived the King’s will early on in her life, and her machinations during that time had surely earned her many enemies. She knew that if she were to take on the task, the others would resist. Therefore, for the sake of convincing the other queens, she had planned to nominate another.

So, the last thing she expected was to be nominated by the Flower Meadow queens. The Fourth of the Seventh agreed as well, though perhaps that was to be expected given how closely she worked with the First of the Fifth’s own offspring.

The First of the Fifth turned to the Apiary queens. The Flower Meadow queens had lived far away and had authority over flower patches of their own. They, perhaps, would not have understood fully what the First of the Fifth had been like before. But not so with the Apiary queens. These were the queens that had been fully suppressed by her in the past. Would they now willingly allow her a position of such authority? They had agreed to her management of the Apiary, but that had been a direct order from the King and facilitated by the Conduit. This was a voluntary decision under no such compulsion. The First of the Fifth awaited their objections, which she would accept and step down.

The Second of the Sixth crawled up to her and stood face to face, her antennae twitching and her wings buzzing. She then slowly began to dance.

“I…agree. Think First of the Fifth will do well.”

The First of the Fifth buzzed her wings and began spinning about. She frantically rushed the Second of the Sixth, exchanging mana and pheromones directly through her antennae.

“Really? Second of the Sixth is sure? I…I hoarded flowers, King’s attention before! Might do again!”

The Second of the Sixth stood firm under the assault and danced the affirmative.

“First of the Fifth did, have not forgotten. But First of the Fifth has changed. Helping bees now, gave up flowers. As long as continue, is fine.”

She then turned to the Conduit.

“Conduit can watch, ensure flowers shared?”

The Conduit zipped about.

“Ok! Will!”

The Second of the Sixth turned to face the First of the Fifth once more.

“Then is ok. First of the Fifth wants all bees to grow now, right?”

The First of the Fifth trembled, but slowly began to dance.

“Yes. Want all of King’s bees to grow, will make King happy. Want…hive of hives to grow.”

The Second of the Sixth danced a confirmation at that and then slowly backed away. One by one, the Apiary queens each danced their assent. The Conduit herself then landed nearby.

“Then, decided! Bees gather to discuss foraging! First of the Fifth will coordinate! All bees work together for King!”

Every single bee present danced a salute at the Conduit’s words. The First of the Fifth then fell still once more, her mind still catching up to this turn of events. The Second of the Sixth still stood before her and danced.

“Keep up changes, ok? Have not forgotten but will work with as long as First of the Fifth helps us grow.”

She then flew off. The Firstborn crawled up to her next.

“Great idea, First of the Fifth! Will help hive of hives grow! Know you’ll help a lot, really good at making honey!”

The First of the Fifth barely managed a thanks dance. At that point, she fell to the ground as a heavy weight collided with her. The bumblebee queens had charged her down and were now crawling over her, grooming her as best they could. The Conduit danced happily about.

“Bees trust First of the Fifth now! First of Fifth should work hard to help them!”

The First of the Fifth slowly managed to extract herself from the bumblebee queen pile and stood before the Conduit. Her mind finally began to work again and she danced a salute.

“I will. Will not let bees or King down.”

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