Chapter 4

~ Raec ~

Vraden paced back and forth in the nursery. Raec hated to see his sire so upset. Picking up one of his brother’s hatchlings, he tickled the infant under his chin. The little one trilled a laugh and tried to nip at his fingers. The child’s innocence was too sweet to speak of.

There were few moments in life when Raec actually envied his brother being chosen as their queen maker. Holding his brother’s young provoked feelings of longing Raec didn’t quite know what to do with.

“I can’t imagine what made you and your brothers think the human queens could be helpful in our present situation. They are small, weak and no match for a Maruvian queen.”

“They are beautiful creatures in their own right.”

“Think with your brain, rather than your eyes, Raec. One of the three is merely a child.”

Fluttering his wings in frustration, Raec responded curtly. “What did you expect us to do, sire? We could not bring ourselves to leave them behind. Especially not after the tame one laid claim to Drale. He is beside himself with excitement, and who can blame him?”

“I have nothing against the human queens. They are lovely and brought us news of our brethren in this dimension. Who could fault them for anything? Gods, they don’t even quarrel among themselves. I’ve truly never seen their like.”

“They behave more like drones in that regard. I find it strangely fascinating to watch.”

“You would mate one, if she asked?”

Quickly placing the child back into his cubicle, Raec turned to face his father. “After seeing Arac’s experience as a queen maker, I would sooner jump out an airlock than breed with a queen. They always appear alluring in the beginning, but things quickly turn unbearable. Perhaps the fault is with drones? We must somehow bring out the worst qualities in a queen.”

“Your words do not reflect my personal experiences. When I was a breeder, my queen kept many of us breeding for her. She valued our contribution, saw to our comfort, gifted us with her affections and spent time with her young.”

“If fear they do not make queens such as my mother anymore.”

Swallowing thickly, the older drone lowered his head. “She was unique. Among all the Maruvian queens, she stood out as the best of her kind.”

Grasping his sire’s arm, Raec spoke soothingly. “I am sorry for your loss, my sire. I can see that all these years later, you still grieve for her.”

“I must look to the present and the future of our line, not stay focused on the past.”

“Perhaps we can smuggle Drale and Armon off the ship? They could escort the queens to the new Maruvian home world the humans spoke of. I would see one my brothers find happiness with a queen, even if I never know such for myself.”

“You are a kind and generous soul, Raec. I am pleased to call you my son.”

“Forgive my next words, sire, but I sometimes find myself wondering if ever there is a situation that might justify drones taking matters into their own hands.”

Vraden’s head jerked up and a small strangled cry broke from this throat. “You mean to say a situation where drones overthrow their own queen?”

“Forget I spoke of such, father. I know it is the one taboo among our kind that is never broken.”

“To harm a queen is unthinkable. I would not have a queen’s blood on my hands for all the ‘verse. It would mean death to all of my line.”

“By who exactly?”

Raec could tell when the magnitude of his suggestion finally registered with the loyal drone. “You are correct, my son. We are no longer in Maruvian territory. There are no queens to hunt or punish us. Though there is no one to stop us from revolting against our cruel queen, such a mutiny will define us in our own minds for all eternity.”

“But our line would remain intact and we would be free to secure a new queen, or perhaps even keep the ones who have already come to us.”

“Beware your words, my son. You walk the path of queens in making such suggestions. It is not the purview of drones to be decision makers. Drones are meant to face our destiny head on, submitting and making the best of whatever the gods throw at us. This you know, for I have schooled you myself in the ways of our people.”

“What you see as strength, I see as weakness. I do not need a queen to fight for me. The new queens say that every person is meant to be free and everyone has a responsibility to fight evil where they find it.”

Taking a tentative step backwards, the older man’s voice grew cold. “I will not listen to heresy against the institution of queens, for if I accept that then… I simply do not accept your words as truth.”

Turning on his heel, Vraden stalked from the room, leaving Raec feeling guilty for speaking his mind. It was clear that his sire refused to accept his words because, if the words were true, it meant he could have fought with his beloved queen instead of letting her die at Kabelda’s vicious claws. That reality was too much to expect any drone to accept.

Heading back to the holding area for the human queens, Raec took up his position along the wall. There was something about the humans that intrigued him.

He tried to imagine what their lives would be like with a human queen in charge of their ship. They were sweet and laughed so easily. He wondered if they had any maliciousness about them at all. If so, he certainly saw no signs of it. They seemed grateful for the kindness and consideration shown to them by the drones. Most queens would consider it a drone’s job to provide for them. It was also strange that the humans seemed to prefer to do things for themselves, and often joined together to complete a task, much as drones did.

If only his brother had been chosen by a human queen, instead of Kabelda, he would be in much better shape. Surely Raec was better off by far, for never having been chosen. Then again, if his sire was to be believed, not all queens were cruel. The thought of being bred by a soft queen with a ready smile, drew to mind a thousand pleasurable possibilities. Standing guard over the new queens, he let mind wander over the thoughts that warmed his soul.

He thought of their dainty hands fluttering over his wings, and the feel of one of their warm bodies against his. It was enough to make him wish for things he’d sworn to avoid.