The documents were nearly ready, though it couldn't be said that the negotiations had been easy or simple. That ill advised little introduction had led to some serious hitches for their kingdom.

No matter. The price was set and all things considered it was really rather fortunate. Merely some so called experienced - meaning old - workers, basic materials and a widowed drone. It might just be what a young queen needed, but it was negligible if one considered the prospects that would open up in a couple centuries if he was bound to the kingdom and indoctrinated properly. Seen that way the fact that this drone would need some time to come into his own was a clear advantage.

The minister carefully placed the signed documents into their folder and then made sure they were safely stored in one of her special drawers.

Once that was done she wrote a quick note for her secretary to prepare a proper residence and lessons, the usual ones for their kingdom obviously. Sonce he already had basic education she noted down some politics, espionage, history and business courses. Maybe ciphering? It couldn't hurt. That and he would need his names soon. But that was not a matter for her secretary to decide.

Satisfied for the moment, she went to make her report.

"He WHAT?" Her voice echoed through the halls. Incredulously she stared at the worker in front of her.

"He's gone. His mother the queen had given permission for him to leave. He often didn't come back the same day...and since the guards changed and he doesn't have any personal servants nobody really noticed that he hadn't returned for days." The young worker sighed.

"He's a drone. He has no training in anything physical and he certainly hasn't been more than a few hours away from this kingdom all his life. There is no way such a person would just get up and leave one day!"

"Mother, I went to school with him for years. Yes, he's a dreamer and a musician, but that doesn't make him faint hearted or weak willed." A somewhat desolate expression spoke volumes about what she thought about the drone she'd known for so long now. Though he had always been a rather quiet child and not very sociable it wasn't like any of the workers could have ignored a drone even for a second. They were hardwired to take care of queens and drones, even if they often had to find ways around nonsensical orders for their master's own good it wasn't like they were capable of not considering their wants and needs even for a moment. "Believe me, he is perfectly capable of leaving without a single word of warning or any idea of where he'll go. Considering his hobbies I'd assume he's in the most desolate place he can find."

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The Minister, not at all convinced, snorted. "I still believe he must have been kidnapped. A drone is meant to be at the heart of a kingdom. That's their instinct. No, some other kingdom that was trying to buy him must have found out that his mother sold him to us and grabbed him. I want the third Division to look into all of our competitors in these negotiations."

Granted, the young worker thought, drones were, by nature, high strung, shy, sensitive and often scaredy cats. But though the first three fit this one she still couldn't forget about the first time they met. An ordinary baby drone would have ended up with tears in his eyes within minutes after being pushed into an unfamiliar environment. He would have asked for special treatment and by the time he turned seven he should have been a spoiled, sweet kid that wheedled anything he wanted out of the workers. Normally that was what happened with both queens and drones, while workers tended to be more stoic. But this drone had relentlessly asked questions and he had spent a lot of time by himself, outside. She hadn't missed the way had had been looking into the distance so often. And another things she hadn't missed was the fact that the song all the workers in his class loved, so sweet and wild and full of longing, had been named 'beyond the horizon'.

For a second she debated arguing with her mother some more, but...no. Let him have his freedom for a little while. While the ministers were busy searching for the drone in other kingdoms she would just sit back and wait.