BD - POBee 448.1 - Bee Concerned (Patreon)

Third Chimeric Queen was in trouble. Ok, maybe it hadn’t been the smartest idea to try and sneak into the big prey hives…but she never could have expected that they would have some sort of mystical guardian that would instantly see through her disguise and immediately incapacitate her! The guardian wasn’t even one of the Great Essence-Weaver’s designs, her mana was foreign to the realm Third Chimeric Queen was born to defend! Yet, the big preys weren’t attacking the intruder! Why was an outsider let into their hives but not her?! She was one of the Great Essence-Weaver’s designs, just like them! She should be allowed in, rather than some outsider!

But then, salvation appeared. Third Chimeric Queen caught sight of the Great Essence-Weaver approaching and rejoiced. Surely the Great Essence-Weaver would protect one of his own designs from an outsider!

The outsider noticed her demise approaching…and smiled.

“Ah, Beely! You’re just in time. I caught little miss cuckoo queen here trying to infiltrate the bumbles.”

The Great Essence-Weaver…did not react with fury towards the outsider inserting herself into the affairs of his designs, or for incapacitating one of his own. Instead, he turned his gaze…towards Third Chimeric Queen.

“Really? Why were you doing that, Third Chimeric Queen?”

Third Chimeric Queen was too shocked to respond. The Great Essence-Weaver knew this outsider? If that was the case…Third Chimeric Queen might be in serious trouble.

Fortunately, the Great Essence-Weaver did not take offense to her silence.

“Ah, Finnakynne, could you let her down so she can dance? Third Chimeric Queen, don’t run away, ok?”

Third Chimeric Queen gathered herself as she was lowered to the ground. So, the outsider listened to the Great Essence-Weaver? In that case, her presence made sense. Indeed, the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans went beyond instinct or the usual relationship between predator and prey, would he thus limit his plans to his own designs? It was only a sign of his greatness that his plans extended beyond even his own realm.

Unfortunately, that meant this outsider was supposed to be in the prey hives…and Third Chimeric Queen had no reason to complain. And no alternatives than to confess. The Great Essence-Weaver gazed down upon her with a stern expression, further compounding her situation.

“So, Third Chimeric Queen, why were you trying to infiltrate the bumble hives?”

Third Chimeric Queen could only reply honestly.

“Wanted big prey essence…”

The Great Essence-Weaver’s gaze became sharp.

“Were you going to hurt them?”

Third Chimeric Queen buzzed and began dancing as rapidly as she could, tripping over her own legs in the process.

“N-No! Just wanted take some larva moltings! Wasn’t going hurt!”

The Great Essence-Weaver crossed those upper legs he had that he didn’t seem to use for walking.

“Really? Why were you trying to sneak in, then? We told you to just ask if you needed anything, right? Why didn’t you ask them?”

Third Chimeric Queen’s antennae drooped, but the Great Essence-Weaver had asked, so she had to answer.

“…was scared.”

The Great Essence-Weaver raised an eyebrow.

“Scared? Of what?”

Third Chimeric Queen’s wings fluttered as her dance sped up.

“Scared would say no! Scared would squish! Want be big, like big preys, but small and weak! If say no, can’t do anything! If squish, can’t escape!”

The Great Essence-Weaver’s glare softened slightly.

“Ah, I see. I guess you don’t really understand the hive of hives yet. Finnakynne, could you get First Bumblebee Queen? Third Chimeric Queen, stay there, ok?”

The outsider nodded and disappeared into the prey hive. A moment later, the big prey queen came out, flew a circle around the Great Essence-Weaver, and then crashed into him. The Great Essence-Weaver just laughed and rubbed her big hairs. He then separated from the big prey queen…and pointed down to Third Chimeric Queen, drawing the big prey queen’s attention her way.

“This is Third Chimeric Queen, she was something to ask you.”

The big prey queen turned to her. Third Chimeric Queen wanted to flee with all her might…but the Great Essence-Weaver had commanded her to stay there, so there she stayed. She could do nothing but buzz her wings as the big prey queen tapped her back with an antenna big enough to squish her if the big prey queen pressed just a bit harder.

“Now then, Third Chimeric Queen, could you tell First Bumblebee Queen what you want?”

Third Chimeric Queen’s wings kept buzzing, but she complied, trying not to think of how easily she could be squished.

“Want be big. Wanted big prey queen’s essence, so can be big. Can give essence? D-Don’t need hurt prey, just need larva moltings! Won’t hurt! Wasn’t going hurt!”

She decided to make that last part extra, abundantly clear to the big prey queen. The big prey queen then stomped around Third Chimeric Queen in a charge that shook the ground. Third Chimeric Queen’s wings buzzed as hard as they could without lifting her away. Only the Great Essence-Weaver’s command kept her from flying away from the prey queen’s rampage…

And then prey bees came out of their hive, carrying larva moltings. They dumped their haul in front of Third Chimeric Queen, quickly assembling a pile of moltings larger than she was.

Third Chimeric Queen just stared at it until she heard the Great Essence-Weaver chuckle. He was now smiling at her.

“This is the hive of hives, Third Chimeric Queen. All bees help each other, whether from different hives, or even if they’re a cuckoo bee and their prey. If you need or want something, just ask and the hive of hives will help you. Just help them later once you’re big, ok?”

Third Chimeric Queen turned her attention to the big prey queen…and found a prey dance gushing out of her.

“Thank you, big prey queen! Thank you for giving essence and for not squishing! Promise will help once big!”

The big prey queen began another rumbling charge. Third Chimeric Queen panicked and big down on the nearest larva molting, wanting to get some of the essence before the big prey queen changed her mind…

And thus having absorbed monster bumblebee essence, she immediately realized that the big bumblebee queen’s rumbling charge was not, in fact, a rampage. It was, rather, a sign that she was happy.

Third Chimeric Queen’s thoughts all came to a halt. The big bumblebee queen…was happy to give her essence to a chimeric cuckoo queen?

The Great Essence-Weaver was right. She really didn’t understand how these preys worked just yet. But, as she began chewing the essence at a more deliberate pace, she started to feel that it might not be so bad.

***

First Chimeric Queen, having eaten her fill of essence and honey for the day, made her way to her fellow chimeric queens’ hives. She planned to check on them and to start fulfilling the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans for her, to become the queen of a hive of predator hives. So, she made her way over to the Second Chimeric Queen’s hive…

A moment later, she stepped out of the hive. The Second Chimeric Queen…wasn’t there? Then where was she? What was she doing?

First Chimeric pondered these things, but she had another hive to check on, so first she went over to the Third Chimeric Queen’s hive…

Immediately thereafter, she zipped out of the Third Chimeric Queen’s hive and flew at maximum speed. Gone! Both of her new subordinates were gone! Neither of them was making use of the prey hives they had been offered!

A chill spread through First Chimeric Queen as she considered what they might be doing instead. Could they…have reverted to their base instincts? Could they be trying to infiltrate the prey hives even now? It was unthinkable, the Great Essence-Weaver had commanded them not to hunt the prey, would the two of them have defied his will?! And yet, First Chimeric Queen could think of nowhere else they could be.

And, of course, there was the matter of the prey empress, who was already aware of all the chimeric queens’ existence. If they reverted to their base instincts and tried to infiltrate her empire, they would inevitably be discovered. How, then, would the empress respond to them defying the plans of the Great Essence-Weaver and violating the truce he had commanded?

How, then, would the empress treat her, who was supposed to be in charge of the predators?

She needed to handle this, right away! She considered searching for the wayward queens herself…but they were fellow chimeric queens. They were born for infiltration, they would not be easily found, not with the scant resources she had available. That being the case…First Chimeric Queen decided to prioritize her own survival. The others would have to pay for their defiance, the Great Essence-Weaver had no need of designs that would defy him so. She had to ensure he knew she was not one of them.

So, she headed straight for the prey hives and asked the guards to bring her before the empress. This they did, taking her to the heart of the prey empire. First Chimeric Queen buzzed as she beheld the trays upon trays of honey and prey filling entire caverns. She understood, now, why the prey empress was so willing to grant her an entire hive…because a mere hive was nothing compared to the empire she commanded. The abundance granted to the chimeric queens was but scraps to the empress.

Which was all the more reason not to break the current truce!

The guards brought her to the empress, whose antennae twitched upon seeing her.

“First Chimeric Queen? Hi, what need?”

First Chimeric Queen danced quickly while releasing all the submissive pheromones that she could.

“First of the Fifth’s First Daughter! Other chimeric queens left, think are trying to infiltrate prey hives! Sorry, only checked now, so didn’t realize! Please forgive…”

The prey empress did not reply with a dance, instead standing still and making her antennae light up. First Chimeric Queen flinched, but the light did nothing more than illuminate the empress’ face. A moment later, the empress gave her response.

“Ah, is fine. Second Chimeric Queen with butcher and bloodsucking queens, Third Chimeric Queen with King, bumble helper, and bumblebees. Neither hurting other bees.”

First Chimeric Queen’s mind came to a halt, both due to the display of the empress’ reach and due to her confusion over the others’ intentions. The others weren’t using their hives, but weren’t reverting to their instincts? What were they doing, then? Why weren’t they utilizing the abundance granted to them? She…had no idea what either of the others were thinking.

First Chimeric Queen was starting to think fulfilling the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans would be harder than she had thought.

Author’s Note:

The sad thing is, First Chimeric Queen, that technically the other two are doing a better job fulfilling the Great Essence-Weaver’s plans right now. After all, it makes First Butcher and First Bumblebee Queen happy when they can help their little sisters, so the other two are actively making bees happy right now. So yeah…the First of the Fifth might still be giving you a knowing and pitying gaze right about now…

Anyways!

Will Third Chimeric Queen come to understand the hive of hives? Can First Chimeric Queen figure out what the others are thinking? Can she fulfill the Great Essence-Weaver’s vast and inscrutable plan for her? Tune in next time, to find out!