Chapter 15

Party

~ Venice ~

Haden was nothing short of shocked at the number of people wandering around outside of Raec’s family homestead. The large crowd made it easy for him to melt to the back after first sitting his gift on the drink table. Raec’s family was much too large to fit indoors but the sheer number of queens, children and Golugua seemed to Haden like a disorganized battalion. He even spied the young innocent Maruvian queen sitting in the treetops with a human male. The male seemed familiar. Then Haden realized it was only because he’d taken the warrior’s serum and bulked up like a Maruvian warrior. He even had wings. Haden had gone back and forth in his mind about wings and dicks, deciding each time he valued his dick over having wings. The thought popped into his head that if the healers could fit a human with wings, perhaps he could have both.

Raec and his brothers passed around plates of food and everyone settled around the fire. Raec’s brother had upwards of fifty children at this point. Naturally, they flew around begging food from everyone’s plate, the way young were wont to do. Haden fed them bits of chelva, though he knew their parents would not approve. Ah, to be young again. They were adorable enough to make him long for young of his own.

His attention was drawn to the lovely storyteller as the evening wore on. Weaving around the throng of people, Haden moved closer to the front to get a better look at her hooded face.

Her delicate features were illuminated by the crackling bonfire and looked especially sweet. She was even more beautiful than he remembered. Her delicate face and pale blue eyes were truly stunning. Her hood slipped back once to reveal the short hair that he loved to run his fingers through. To his eyes it was cute, even though it was chronically a mess. He listened intently as she cleared her throat and began speaking.

“I spent the entire afternoon trying to decide on a story to tell tonight.”

Raec’s father replied diplomatically. “You are not obligated to tell a story to get fed around here, young queen. We are well satisfied with just your good company.”

Raec mock shouted, “Speak for yourself, my sire. I wish to hear the story our storyteller has selected for us.”

Donella teased him. “Are you certain, you wish to hear it? She may have selected one about a foolish drone who insists upon speaking out against his sire’s words?”

Everyone laughed and even Haden found himself smiling at her gentle jibe. A huge scarred male Golugua wrapped his arms around the female roared his laughter as well.

“I will take my chances if it’s all the same to you, Donella.”

“Suit yourself, drone.”

The storyteller spoke in a calming voice. “The story I chose has nothing to do with sires or their errant sons. This one is about a little human girl who got bored one day. She sat in a flower bed playing with her kitten when a white rabbit hopped by…”

Haden listened as she described how the youngling followed the rabbit down a deep dark hole and ended up in an enchanted place where nothing was as it should be. There were magic potions, cats that gave confusing advice before disappearing into a cloud of smoke and an evil queen intent on removing everyone’s heads. The strange story went on for almost an hour before the little girl awoke to find herself laying near a real rabbit burrow. Yet she was somehow mysteriously covered in jam from a tea party.

Clearly the ending was meant to leave the listener guessing about whether the story was a dream or some kind of real life adventure into a parallel dimension. Since drones actually arrived in this sector of space through an interdimensional rift, most tend to think the tunnel was the human version of rift. Haden had to admit to felling torn about this particular story.

Everyone immediately began asking questions about what different aspects of the story meant. He noticed that whenever the storyteller was asked a question, she tended to answer it with another question, creating a widening array of possible scenarios with ever more complex possibilities. His queen was smart in that way, and an extremely proficient storyteller.

Someone elbowed him in the ribs and Haden looked up to find everyone looking at him. How did that happen? The drone beside him whispered helpfully, “The storyteller asked your opinion of the flowers that talk.”

Snapping to attention, he blurted out the first thing that came to mind. “I don’t think the flowers were speaking words. I believe the young queen was frightened by being in a strange place and the flowers represented the many conflicting thoughts running through her head.”

“Wow, you’re a deep thinker.”

“Am I?”

Nodding at him admirably, she stated, “I’ve told you that before.”

Donella shouted from across the lawn. “He also has a strategically placed battle scar or two. Do for forget what you said about that.”

Being reminded of his scarring in such a public way was humiliating. However, watching the storyteller blush from her neck all the way up to her hairline was far more fascinating than obsessing about what others thought of his battle scars. His embarrassed queen looked away and began speaking to another drone.

Searching the crowd, he caught Raec’s eye. His fiend inconspicuously made the hand gesture warriors used in battle for pursue the target. Sighing, Haden was virtually certain the queen he thought of as his own was probably pretty tired of dealing with him. Besides, every available drone was looking to capture her attention tonight, even the queen makers.

Slipping silently away, he returned to his position in the back of the swarm of people, grabbing some chelva the food tables on this way past. He’d be content tonight looking after a few of the little ones. For no reason he could possibly discern, they seemed drawn to him. At first he’d assumed it was the chelva, but after they’d munched it all away, they crawled all over him playfully nipping at him and marveling over the fact that he had no wings. They crawled up his stomach peering around his ribs, trying to figure out where he was hiding them.

He had to smile at the fact that because they were offspring of drones with wings, they had probably seen very few without flying gear in their young lives. At least he could still prove to be an interesting diversion for the little ones, as they were for him. He’d been so intent on playing with them that he lost track of the pretty storyteller.

Queen Tara settled onto the ground beside him. “Thanks for coming to our little party, Haden.”

Smiling at her, he responded without delay. “Greetings, Queen Tara. The general invited me and I could hardly refuse under the circumstances. Did you come to gather your little ones?”

“Yep, I was worried they might be making a nuisance of themselves.”

Shaking his head, he held out one to her. “I’m not sure younglings can be anything but perfect.”

“Has Raec been talking to you about joining a clan?”

“After what I did to his queen, I think we both know that would be a bad idea.”

“You didn’t do anything to her.”

“Only because the guards intervened.”

“That was not your fault. You were not yourself.”

“I allowed myself to be used. A strong male would have realized what was happening sooner.”

“Queen Helena does not blame you, yet you punish yourself by isolation and deprivation.”

“Do you know from that day to this, she has made me food every single day with her own hands?”

“Why do you think she might be doing that?”

Shrugging, he attempted to slide by with humor. “I am not certain. Different conflicting thoughts circle in my head. Soon flowers will begin speaking to me if I am not careful.”

“You like this new storyteller, don’t you?”

“I, like many others, am fascinated by her tales. As for the queen herself, she deserves much better than a broken battle-scarred warrior.”

“I can tell you this much: you might not see it from the way she interacts during the day, but at night she’s uncomfortable and isolates much as you do.”

“Who is making her feel uncomfortable?” Haden could hear his voice tone change and knew he was overreacting.

“I think it is no one in particular. She is a young queen in a strange land. It is difficult for us to acclimate to being among so many males, for males were few on Earth. The one drone she connected with has abandoned her.”

“What do you wish of me?”

“Perhaps if you could talk to her, and let her know if she has need of anything you will assist her. Maybe give her some pointers for being in our military, even if she is not going to be a warrior.”

“I’m certain others have offered their assistance.”

“It matters not who has offered but whether she feels comfortable with them.”

“I understand.”

“You are a good male, Haden.”

Pushing himself up from the ground he began to look around for the new queen. She was speaking with Haroc and Valic. They both had their backs to him with their wings locked together. He knew that meant their queen was standing in front, probably speaking to the storyteller. Approaching from the side, he made sure to make his presence known to the warriors. Haroc motioned for him to come closer.

“Greetings, Haden. May I introduce our queen?”

“It would be an honor.”

When their queen turned around, he saw her deep red hair and the sprinkling of red dots across the bridge of her nose. She was a beauty.

“My queen, meet our longtime friend Haden. Haden, our queen, Ember.”

Bowing his head, he murmured, “Greetings, Queen Ember. It is an honor to finally meet you.”

She smiled at him as her eyes skittered over his scars. “The honor is mine, Haden. Everyone here is so polite.”

The storyteller laughed. “Clearly, you have not met Donella.”

“The Golugua who refuses to stand sentinel? I got an ear full of her earlier. She’s pretty amazing. Dargon may not have her sharp tongue but our Golugua has adopted his own pirate persona. It’s real cute.”

A growly voice interrupted. “I am terrifying, not cute.”

The red headed queen reached out to scratch the sentinel behind the ear. “Sorry, I forget how dangerous you can be, ‘cause I love you so much.” He turned his head to enjoy the little scratch and sat panting.

The storyteller spoke softly. “Your Dargon acts nothing like Donella. She might be a little snarky but she’s incredibly well spoken.”

“I noticed that she seems more queen than sentinel.”

Venice spoke quietly as she eyed Ember’s sentinel. “Donella is from the house of Zadon.” Glancing up at Haden, the storyteller extended her hand. “I’m glad to see you again, Haden. How have you been?”

“I cut stone.” Shaking his head he tried again. “I am well. Since leaving the military I have taken a job building the new hospital.”

“I see. You cut the stone for the foundation?”

“Yes.”

“That must be pretty boring after your stint in the military.”

“It is rather boring. However, I am left to do my work in peace. There is very little chance of others being harmed if I am negligent in my duties.”

“Everyone’s said you are being too hard on yourself. You know that, right?”

“I best know my own situation, Queen Venice.”

Changing the subject, she smiled up at him. “I really liked your interpretation of the talking flowers, Haden.”

“Thank you. I’ve listened to all your stories so far. I always did love hearing you speak. The times we spent talking together in the evenings are some of the best memories of my life.”

Stepping closer, she peered up at him. “I miss those times as well. I’m amazed that drones enjoy storytelling.”

“On our home world crones went from town to town, telling fantastical stories. Since they drew from a well-known pool of literature, the only real distinction between them was the manner of the telling. You have a captivating way of speaking. The material is new and thought provoking.”

She smiled at him and it made him feel oddly anxious. Looking around, he realized the others had stepped away, leaving the two of them to talk.

“That’s really sweet of you to say. I’ve been here for days and no one thought to explain that to me.”

Shifting his stance, he tried not to fall back into the intense longing for her. “I am probably more enthusiastic about stories than most.”

“Me too. I love telling stories and it helps me feel like I’m fitting in a little.”

“Well, if ever you have need of anything at all, I wish you to know that I am more than willing to render assistance.”

“That’s what all the drones say.”

Stepping back, Haden felt like her words were a dismissal.

“Wait. Don’t go.”

Stepping back into place, he waited for her to speak.

“I was wondering if you might share some Maruvian stories with me.”

“There are many in the database.”

“I know. After looking through them, I began wishing for someone to help me pick out the good ones and maybe talk about them with me before I head up to work on the orbital platform. Since you love stories better than most, you seem like a good choice.”

“If you would like, I can order food for us and we could watch a storyteller together.”

“That would be really nice.”

“Perhaps tomorrow?”

“I’d love that. Will it just be the two of us?”

“Unless you wish to invite more people. If you do not feel comfortable alone with me…”

Chewing on her bottom lip, she replied thoughtfully, “You know I have always felt comfortable being with you.”

“What do you mean, that you feel comfortable being alone with me or that you usually feel comfortable with more people?”

“Just the two us would be fine. Sorry for being ambiguous.”

“We have a story about ambiguous queens.”

“Really?”

Shaking his head slightly, he tried to keep his expression neutral.

“You are one funny wingless drone.”

Smothering back the comment that came to mind, he stated quietly, “If there is nothing else, I will see you tomorrow.”

“Tomorrow then.”

Haden broke for lunch at his regular time. The morning had flown by as he thought about his beautiful storyteller. She had stopped him from leaving. Wait. Don’t go. Her voice had seemed slightly panicked. I began wishing for someone… you seem like a good choice. Those were the words that keep circling in his head. The ones he was putting too much stock into.