"No Hornet! You can't be serious! I won't allow it!"
"And what do you suggest we do? There is no better solution than this!"
Fury was felt in the air, spider and pill bug were doing their best to be victorious in the argument they were having. It was no wonder, an issue as important as childcare required the best decisions to ensure their well-being. Each of them had their own point of view on the matter and it was proving very difficult to reach an agreement.
"I'll take care of the children if necessary, but for no reason will I let Ania take care of them."
"Quirrel please! How do you plan to do that without neglecting your work in the archives? Or your work as a teacher for young students? It is true that you have a couple of apprentices but you must be there to guide them. It's not all day either, just a little bit in the afternoon. Look, I understand you, I also do not like leaving children with someone else, if it were up to me I would leave my position as queen and dedicate myself completely to their care, but I cannot, the well-being of many people depends on me. So please understand." She took her husband's hands with conciliatory intentions. "Ania will take good care of them."
"Does it have to be Ania?"
Hornet sighed before answering.
"Who else is trusted to take care of them? At least Silky is a political target and we cannot leave her in the hands of just anyone."
"And is Ania trustworthy?" He jerked his hand away from Hornet's grasp.
"Quirrel... Please don't start with that again, just because you don't like Ania doesn't mean she's a bad person."
"It doesn't mean she's a good person either. Have you not noticed her attitudes? The way she looks at Ren? The way she looks at me? Why do you believe so blindly in her?
"I haven't seen anything what you say, besides, unlike a certain person, she has never disappointed me."
Several seconds of silence followed this statement.
"Hornet... will you never forget it?"
"I wish I could," she took a deep breath. "You lied to me. You had promised that you would no longer go on a trip, that you would stay by my side to share a quiet life with me, I was counting on it and one day out of nowhere, you left."
"I had a promise to keep, I needed to make that last trip."
"And that's why you broke the promise you had with me, the person who was willing to be your family? The worst thing is that you left me in one of the worst moments, I had just discovered that the weavers were not extinct, I was still adjusting to the life as a queen, I still did not earn the respect and approval of everyone! You left me when I needed you!"
Quirrel had no way to reply and looked down, letting guilt once again consume him. Hornet, for her part, was breathing heavily and let a few moments pass before she spoke again.
"Your absence hurt like a needle in my heart, I was devasted, but I could not show weakness to my people, no one should know how much I cried when I was alone, it was my secret and she was the one who discovered it. But far from judging me, Ania understood me, she was there for me giving me unconditional support, helping me to stand up to continue fighting for my kingdom. She even helped me to ward off the annoying noble weavers who only wanted to be with me to moving up the social ladder. That's why I trust her! Maybe... even more than you."
These last words hurt Quirrel a lot, it was an issue that had already been overcome in their relationship, but he was clear that although women could forgive, they would never forget.
After returning from that final trip, Hornet no longer wanted anything to do with him, it took him a full year to regain her trust and love, plus he had to compete with all the other noble suitors who courted her. With much effort he was victorious before them and managed to marry his beloved, but even so the distrust remained in her, always thinking that he would leave her again without saying anything. It took 5 more years of impeccable behavior for him to finally convince her that he would not leave her and allow him to be the father of the children he longed to have.
"But Hornet..."
"It's enough! Look Quirrel, unless you get irrefutable proof that Ania is suspicious of something, she will be the babysitter for the children and that is my last word. Now if you'll excuse me I have things to do."
The spider queen turned and left the bedroom.
Quirrel clenched his fists in frustration, walked to the bed and hit a pillow with all his might, but that wasn't enough to vent all his anger, so more punches followed, all charged with strength and rage.
The pill bug would have continued in that cathartic activity for a while longer had it not been for a little touch on his leg that woke him from his thoughts. Something surprised, he looked down and found his son who was watching him curiously.
"Ah Chester, shouldn't you be sleeping?"
"Yi..."
"Come here, I'll take you back to the nest." He lifted the child in his arms and headed towards the tunnel hidden behind a curtain where the little ones had their nest. Now Quirrel had free access to it and could see them whenever he wanted.
He deposited the little boy with his sisters, but he didn't seem very interested in sleeping.
"Chester, really, can't you stay calm even at night?"
"Buugah yi!"
"I guess I'll have to take out the heavy artillery."
In the couple of weeks that he had been a father, Quirrel had already discovered a very effective method of putting a rebellious child like Chester to sleep, patting him on the head. Immediately the boy felt relaxed and then sleepy, but he was still determined to stay awake, however, when Quirrel began to sing his lullaby, he could no longer resist it, he closed his eyes and gave himself to the world of dreams.
The pill bug observed them with pride and happiness, those three were his treasure and he did not think to allow anything bad to happen to any of them, he would definitely find irrefutable proof of Ania's bad intentions.
.................................................. .........................
In Green Lands another couple of bugs were facing an awkward situation.
In a cozy guest room located in Clare's lair, a certain convalescent mantis was lying on a bed of moss with her claw gently pressing her abdomen, it was the place where she had received the wound that almost cost her her life. At that time it did not hurt her, but she couldn't help feeling vulnerable and wanting to protect that weak spot, especially now that she felt threatened.
Not that the person in front of her was going to hurt her, after everything he had done for her, such an idea would never cross her mind, but the fury that the knight projected caused her insecurity, she had never seen him like this.
Hollow was shaking and breathing hard, his hands gripping his magic board with such force it looked like he would break it at any moment, and the message written on it was so shaky and sharp it was a bit difficult to decipher.
"Why did you go alone to look for the hunter? Why did you never tell me that he was the prey that you wanted to hunt?"
"Why did Ihave to say it? This was my business, nothing related to you."
The way Orchid spoke was cold, she had put on the iron mask she used to wear in her Lord days, when she presented herself as an impenetrable and ruthless wall. She did not want to give Hollow hope with her false hormonal love, she was willing to put distance between them and break all ties of affection, but she still did not know the knight well enough to know how insistent he could be when he wanted something.
Hollow furiously erased the board and wrote another message in as thorny and weird handwriting as the one before.
"Because I care about you! I care about your well-being! I love you!"
Orchid already knew about Hollow's feelings, the conversation she overheard plus Ogrim's statements allowed her to know this truth, but she didn't expect him to tell her directly, or rather she hoped he wouldn't. While she remained in supposed ignorance on the subject could evade the responsibility of making a decision.
Now this statement so direct and clear put her in a complicated position. How to prevent him from committing the madness of loving her? It was too late for that, they had become close, she did not want to make him suffer with a love disappointment, she desperately needed to push him away, even if she had to be cruel.
"And that you love me is a reason to control me? I am not interested in your love, love is stupid, I am a strong mantis that does not need useless things like love or you."
This time Hollow's rage didn't even allow him to write anything else on the board, his hand almost moving of its own accord when he slapped Orchid.
The mantis took a claw to her face, it was not the worst blow she had received in her life, it was a caress compared to the brutality she used to face in her fights, but she could almost say that it had hurt more than hunter's claw, or the Moon's beatings. He had hit her in the face, but it was her chest that burned, her throat that was tightening, and her conscience that tormented her. She had gone too far, she had said something too cruel and now she regretted it.
She expected to receive another punishment at any moment, perhaps the physical pain would alleviate her guilt, but that would not get it from Hollow, because in his eyes, although anger still shone, now regret was the main feeling. This wasn't right, it wasn't right to hurt someone unless it was in self-defense or in a concerted duel, it was the strict code of honor his sister had brought him up with. What would Hornet think of him?
Before doing any other stupidity, he left the room and the mantis was left alone, drowning in guilt.
What had she done? Her intentions were to reject him to avoid the suffering of an unrequited love, but instead she had hurt and offended him, she was a monster.
Orchid hugged her legs and buried her face between her knees, she didn't want to start crying again but she felt that she desperately needed it. What the hell was wrong with her? She spent years without shedding a single tear and now burst into tears for anything, perhaps her sisters were right in saying that she no longer served as a Lord, or as a mantis, or as... Lover.
The ex-lord had fallen into that spiral of self-pity in which she was unable to see a light at the end of the tunnel, she could only see the negative side of things, she had failed in everything, she had lost everything, she could not defeat the hunter , she no longer had a home to return to, the few of her tribe who lived in that area had seen her in the most pathetic state possible, they no longer had respect for her and now she ended up destroying the affection of the one who reached out to her at her worst. Even Big would surely hate her now.
What did she have now? Was there something to keep fighting for?
She looked at the window of her room and did not think twice when she went out there. She no longer wanted to be a hindrance, nor did she want to force Hollow to see her again, her life no longer had value, no one would miss her if she disappeared, she would erase her existence once and for all, is what she should have done after her brother's exile, If she had supported him, things could have been different, but she turned her back on him and things ended as they did, but she would not make any more mistakes, now she would make the right decision.
Orchid ran through the town with unthinkable speed, no one could guess that she was just recovering from a situation that almost cost her her life, it was like a gale that passed between the houses disappearing just an instant after appearing. No one could stop her, hopefully some or them were able to see her, and none of their calls were able to stop her before she left the scene.
After a while running, the mantis finally reached her destination, the shore of a lake of acid, one of many in Hallownest.
She contemplated the bubbling liquid with longing, it was impressive that there were creatures capable of walking on its surface and plants that preferred to grow on its shores, one drop would be enough to leave an ugly mark on her shell and a few minutes submerged would erase her body, her guilt and sins. How beautiful those waters looked at that time.
She sighed looking to cheer herself up, her survival instincts were in an internal dispute against her despair, everything looked so dark that she saw no way out or solution to her existential dilemma, deep down she did not want to cease to exist, but her absolute convincement that she was an hindrance mede the things hard for her.
She sighed deeply, took a step forward and a root caught in one of her legs causing her to stumble.
The body of the mantis inevitably rushed towards the acid, each time the distance between her shell and the liquid was less and just when it was about to make contact, a network of branches and leaves grew under her, stopping her fall.
At first, Orchid just stood still in a state of complete stupefaction, trying to understand what had happened. She had been a second from dying and now she rested on a vegetable bed, she did not even manage to move and get out of there. She just sat there looking up, until someone caught her eye.
"Ahem ahem."
A sweet little voice gave a fake cough to get noticed. Guessing her identity was not difficult, Queen Clare was unmistakable.
"It's dangerous to play on the edge of acid lakes, you could fall into it."
There was hidden guilt behind her words, she had been the one responsible for Orchid stumbling, she just wanted to play an innocent joke but did not expect such consequences, now she tried to hide her fear and pretend that nothing had happened so that the mantis would not get angry with she. Under no circumstances did she suspect that falling into the bubbling water was her original goal.
"I'm sorry, I'll be more careful next time," she said in a muffled voice without moving from her place.
"Hey... Are you okay?"
"Yes."
"It does not seem."
"No... I don't mean to sound rude but I would appreciate it if you would leave me alone."
"I don't know, it doesn't seem like a good idea to leave you alone. Are you sure you're okay?" Don't you need a hug?" She approached Orchid.
"Are you going to give me a..."
Before she could finish her question, she was enveloped by the arms of the root, surprisingly it was more therapeutic than she expected, although more because of the fragrance that the queen gave off than because of the hug itself, in a minute she relaxed completely to the point of feeling drowsy.
"Ah! Sorry, I still haven't learned to control my scent." Clare pulled away from the mantis and let her breathe.
"Never mind, I think I feel a little better."
"Great! You want to play with me?"
"I don't feel as good as that." Even though she was a child, she found it incredible that the queen acted with such familiarity.
Clare sat next to the female and they were both silent for a while staring at the bubbles of the acid lake, their particular chirping somehow was relaxing. That place could be the witness of a tragedy, but now it seemed the ideal place to take a little nap.
"You... did you fight with Hollow?" Clara dared to ask.
"Did he tell you something?"
"Not directly, but his eyes spoke for him, he looked devastated."
"I'm sorry." She hugged her legs and hid her face. "I told him something very cruel that he did not deserve, I... I am to blame for everything, I am a horrible person."
"Calm down, it's not that bad, just go and apologize and you'll see how everything works out."
"I don't know if that's enough, it's just... My presence here is more of a problem than a good thing and now I have nowhere to go, I couldn't defeat the hunter, and I'll never be able to return home."
"You can stay with us in Green Lands."
"Surrounded by mantises that hate and despise me? No thanks."
"Why do they hate you?"
"I..." She hesitated a moment before speaking, she didn't want to tell her story. "I did something very bad in the past when all the mantises lived together, they remember that and now they hate me."
"What if you apologize? I'll help you, I'll go talk to them."
"No!" Her sudden exclamation startled Clare a bit and a nearby bush shook. "You don't need your majesty. I do not think they forgive me, in addition, surely in their eyes now I am just a despicable being, the shadow of what I was."
"Is this all because the hunter defeated you? Please don't be silly! I doubt that any of those mantises were capable of defeating that guy, not even Hollow could stand up to him, for something he has never faced him."
Orchid didn't want to mention that probably the reason Hollow had never fought the hunter was because he was his master.
"I think you're drowning in a glass of water, it can't be that bad what you did, I'm sure a good apology will fix it."
"Oh little... You are so innocent."
The mantis approached the root and dared to take her face in order to get a better look at her lovely violet eyes. Nearby a bush shook violently and a pair of eyes peered out from the branches. For her part, Orchid only gently caressed the young root while speaking with love and sadness.
"Sometimes one can apologize from the heart and not be forgiven, sometimes the things that one does are so horrible that there is no going back and then it is too late to compensate, the consequences are inevitable. That's why you have to be careful with the actions one commits."
"But..."
"You are too young to understand it, I know that as a root and high being you are very intelligent, but there are things that you cannot learn by reading books, you learn by living. I have lived many things and made many mistakes, now I am facing the consequences, I have lost everything, my honor, my home, my family my... My hopes... What do I have left? What can someone do who no longer has anything?
"Save money?"
The mantis gave a genuine laugh at such an innocent comment and let go of the root, a nearby bush calmed down.
"We are not talking about economic losses Clara."
"But you said you were homeless, so you'll have to save up to buy a house, meanwhile you can stay in my lair. At least that's what I can think of to start over, I mean, I mean, you can't give up! If you've lost everything, fight for new things! As long as you are alive there is always hope."
"An innocent comment again." The mantis gave a bitter laugh. "That is easier said than done. Have you ever met someone who went through a period of utter despair and got up?"
"Of course!"
"Really?" This answer Orchid was not expecting it.
"Over there." She pointed to a distant, abstract spot behind the menacing bush. "There is a forest of thorns, it is somewhat difficult to get around, but if you look carefully you will find a somewhat rustic path, at the end of that place there is a hut where two artists live, one of them left everything to change his life, and the another lost everything after reaching the top. They know what it's like to start over, maybe they can give you a tip or two on how to get ahead, you should go see them."
This information was certainly of interest to Orchid, the testimony of someone who was able to get ahead despite everything could be very motivating. She did not believe that they would give him the solution to all her problems, but she should at least try to find her truth.
She thanked Clare for her company and went immediately to the artists' hut.
The queen watched her walk away with an expression of complete happiness, she felt very satisfied to have helped her, she was truly a good queen. She walked happily to the angry bush and spoke to it.
"You can come out now Dimityr."
The aforementioned peeked out with an expression of clear annoyance.
"Oh come on, don't be like that, it wasn't so bad." The vessel looked away. "She needed it, and let's face it, with you there we could hardly have talked."
Dimityr hated to admit that she was absolutely damned right.
"Hopefully she will recover soon and apologize to my brother, then the two of them will admit that they love each other, they will get married, they will live very happily and..."
Dimityr gave her queen a couple of affectionate pats. She was already raving in her romantic fantasies, she was adorable when she got like this, but it seemed appropriate to land her in the reality
"Well, dreaming doesn't cost anything, doesn't it? Anyway, forget it, we'd better go eat something and it's time for... Ah!"
The young root put on that expression Dimityr knew so well.
"I think I need to unburden myself," she said as she buried her roots in preparation to release life into the earth.
Dimityr took her by the hands ready to accompany her in the process.
"What do you think I should grow today?" Her guardian just shrugged, she didn't really care much. "I was thinking of red orchids." The warrior looked at her in surprise. "It's not by coincidence, I have a very nice idea."