Queen & Commander (Book One of the Hive Queen Saga)

Chapter Three: Center of My Universe

A/N: You can buy this complete book at Amazon, B&N, Kobo, iBooks, and Smashwords.

By late afternoon on Test Day, the wide streets were still mostly empty. Whistling breezes echoed in the middle of civilization, usually unheard outside the groves.

Everyone had stayed home that day—work stopped, play stopped, drinking stopped—to make sure that the Test could be administered free of distraction. The only people out in the dimming red light now were the truly stressed and the happily aimless, flitting to their new destinations on their own time.

Rhiannon fell into the flitting category. She approached the park, still dazed from the morning’s happy outcome. She closed her eyes to better bask in the sunlight bathing her face. Its happy warmth reminded her of times with her mother.

A tear cooled her cheek at the thought. Rhiannon took pride that it was only one.

Up ahead, three figures sat beneath the tree she’d marked as Gwyn’s. She waved an arm over her head, and the large motion filled her with extra adrenaline. She jogged the rest of the way. Twigs crunched beneath her polished boots as she closed with them.

She couldn’t wait to tell Gwyn all about making Queen and Commander. The administrator had said something about not telling anyone that enough pre-Testing made actual Testing irrelevant. So, fine, she could skip that part. But the part about getting out of Perceivership and into Queen training? She was bursting to share that with her best friend, her only friend since Mom died.

Her smile faded as she recognized Victor in the little coterie. While Rhiannon had gotten what she wanted on the Test, Gwyn hadn’t gotten everything. Gwyn would be forced away from Victor.

Victor pounced upon her the moment she drew close enough. “You want Gwyn to be happy, right?”

Oh, this can’t be good. Of course she wanted Gwyn to be happy. No one meant more to her than Gwyn. Gwyn, who had become Rhiannon’s sun and water during the hard years after her mother’s death. Gwyn, who had offered unconditional friendship when Rhiannon had forgotten how to interact with other children. Gwyn, who had never given up during Rhiannon’s awkward phase.

Yes, Rhiannon wanted Gwyn to be happy. But she wasn’t sure that Victor wanted Rhiannon to be happy.

Well, on one score, she and Victor agreed: Gwyn came first.

She ignored the question. “Hello, Victor.” She passed him to hug her best friend. She extended a hand to the third party member— a runner-thin, flamboyant dresser. “Hi, I’m Rhiannon.”

The boy had reddish blonde hair, a mischievous grin, and an exceedingly thin nose surrounded by an outdoor-person’s freckles. He scrambled to his feet and took that hand, bending over it like a Shakespearean actor. “Gavin. It’s an honor to meet you.” He looked up at her through playful eyelashes, still bent over her hand. “My lady.”

What a ham! But a delightful ham. Not that she could do anything about it for another few decades. Queenship’s downside: no relationships that might damage your Hive’s dynamic.

Someday, though. Someday, she’d meet someone she truly loved, and her Hive would allow her to pursue that someone.

In her peripheral vision, graceful Gwyn stumbled forward to get her attention.

“We, well Victor wanted me to ask... That is, he thinks we could...” Gwyn gave up, and Rhiannon wished she could protect the other girl from whatever had upset her so.

“What Gwyn’s trying to say.” Victor stepped forward to speak for Gwyn. That brassed Rhiannon. Sure, the girl was wobbling into her explanations, but that was no reason to cut her off. Ugh. Then again, Rhiannon had been known to take over in high-anxiety situations, so maybe it wasn’t so bad. “She’s trying to ask you to join us.”