Kiara narrowed her eyes, waited for a moment and then lashed out with her blade. The tip of the sword slid past the edge of her opponent’s shield and clanged against the side of his helmet.
He stumbled back a step, shaking his head slightly. She hadn’t put enough force behind the blow to actually hurt or do any damage, but she supposed it would have been distracting.
“Very well struck, Your Majesty,” Sir Richard complimented.
She lowered her sword and nodded. “Thank you.” Then she glanced around, noted the position of the sun, and sighed. “I suppose we should finish up for today.”
The older knight bowed, then they both walked over to the rack with the training weapons and deposited them. Kiara liked Richard, and being Janis’ great-uncle had little to do with it, he was a good sparring partner and instructor. But today, she wished she could have hit him a bit harder. Even after the training session, she was feeling a little restless and agitated. She’d been using her mana to increase her speed, but had restricted herself to physical combat for today, so she still had most of her mana. She briefly considered whether exhausting it would have helped, then dismissed the thought.
Once Kiara had washed up quickly, she returned to her office to take care of some last paperwork. One thing she had learned quickly after she took the throne was that paperwork seemed to breed like rabbits and if you didn’t make sure to keep up with it, the flood of letters and reports would overwhelm you at the least convenient moment. It had only gotten worse with Regina’s reforms and the establishment of the new ministries and agencies. A surprising number of them seemed to need input from the Cernlian crown. Kiara didn’t even want to consider how much worse it would be for Regina. Although she might hope it was worse.
And now she was thinking of her again. Kiara sighed, put the last of the letters she’d received down, and paced up and down her sitting room. She was about as prepared for her planned trip as she was going to get. Regina had wanted to come but begged off yesterday, since the news of the military coup in the Gnomish Confederation required her attention.
Kiara wanted to be disappointed at that, but a too-large part of her was relieved.
She had just gotten started with her efforts in Cernlia’s court, and the trip would be an important element. She needed to be seen, but more importantly, she needed to make sure no one was plotting against them. It would require some careful handling in a few cases. Still, Kiara felt confident she could strengthen her power base and keep the nobles in line. Seeing more of the country and talking to common citizens would be a benefit, too.
Kiara stopped pacing and was considering going to look for June to say goodbye, and give her a few last pieces of advice, when someone knocked on the door. She didn’t have to open it to know who it was.
Galatea had a rather distinct mana presence.
Kiara quickly made sure she was presentable and opened the door, unsure if she should be relieved that the servants usually attending to her were currently occupied with packing her things into the transport they would be using or not.
“Good evening, Your Majesty,” Galatea greeted her. “I thought I should come this evening to bid you goodbye since you were likely to be busy tomorrow morning.”
Kiara smiled slightly and stepped back to let her in. “Of course, come on in,” she invited her.
At least one maid still paid attention and quickly fetched them some tea and snacks before departing. Kiara simply hoped it wasn’t offensive to offer them, unsure if Galatea could even eat, or wanted to. She hadn’t had all that much interaction with her in a private setting, and usually not over meals. Although she seemed to remember her drinking something during Regina’s coronation banquet.
The artificial intelligence didn’t seem offended, at least. Instead, she exchanged a few pleasantries with Kiara as they sat down, even if she didn’t touch the food or drink. She mentioned her training and compliments from the senior knight, then the conversation detoured into magic for a bit. It did seem to be the easiest topic they could talk about, Kiara supposed. Besides, she found her insights fascinating. Galatea had a rather different approach than most people she’d talked to, but she clearly knew her way around mana. It was no wonder June kept singing her praises when it came to the tutelage she received from her.
Still, she had the impression Galatea hadn’t just come by for ‘small talk’. She didn’t strike Kiara as a person who particularly enjoyed it, generally speaking.
“It was nice to get the chance to speak to you,” she finally said, deciding to be a bit more direct.
Galatea smiled slightly. “Indeed, we have not had much chance to talk privately. Mostly when Regina was there.”
Kiara tensed slightly at the mention of Regina, and she could tell that Galatea noticed it. “True,” she allowed. It was obvious Galatea was here because of her friend.
“Both Regina and your sister June value you highly,” the mana-form said. “I feel like I know you better than I probably do, given every time June has mentioned you. She quite looks up to you, as I suppose is natural for an older sister.”
Kiara couldn’t help but smile slightly as she heard that. It was nice to know June talked about her, of course. Especially positively. She’d been a bit worried that she might have let resentment fester. “Thank you,” she said. “And Regina? Does she talk about me as well?”
“Occasionally,” Galatea said. She hesitated for a moment, then seemed to decide to get on with what she wanted. “Despite my age, I am new to having friends. It strikes me that Regina has somewhat of the opposite but same problem. Don’t forget that despite her knowledge and maturity, she doesn’t remember any relationships she had before her hatching. Janis is the first person outside the hive she formed any connection to, but you are not far behind.”
Kiara raised an eyebrow. Was that supposed to underline that Regina valued her? It did, she supposed, but why was Galatea bringing this up now? “I do have trouble remembering that,” she admitted. “She doesn’t act like a person who only remembers two years of life.”
“Not on the surface, perhaps.” Galatea shrugged slightly and moved her teacup around. “She can be a bit arrogant, can’t she?”
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Kiara snorted lightly before she could stop herself. She coughed and took a sip of her tea to hide it. “Your words, not mine,” she said. Galatea only gave her an unimpressed look, so she sighed. “Yes, she is. Are you going to tell me it’s all a front to hide her true insecurity or what?”
Galatea smiled briefly. “Well, I don’t know. Regina is definitely a bit insecure, but I wouldn’t go so far as to call it a front.”
Kiara leaned back in her chair and crossed her arms. “Then what are you getting at, if you don’t mind being blunt?”
The AI sighed. “I know Regina can sometimes be … an arrogant bitch with a superiority complex, to quote someone.” She raised an eyebrow and Kiara coughed a bit. “But I understand where she’s coming from, and I hope that maybe I can give you a bit of insight to help your relationship remain strong.”
Kiara wondered if Regina had even noticed any need for that, but Galatea apparently thought their relationship was getting strained. It shamed her a bit to realize it had apparently gotten to the point Galatea, Regina’s friend, felt the need to intervene. She didn’t think she’d done that badly, had she? “I’m all ears,” she said drily, to cover for her thoughts.
If she was human, Kiara would have said Galatea was having trouble finding the right words. “Regina woke up as a new species, with induced retrograde amnesia, alone in the wilds. For months, she couldn’t even be sure she was on the same planet she remembered, that the knowledge she did have was real, or if she would survive long enough for it to matter. Then she found out the answers by learning about the Cataclysm. She’s literally the sole survivor of entire civilizations with millennia of history, while not remembering her own history. How do you think you would feel if people like the Delvers went around calling your people and you ‘Progenitor’ and ‘Ancient’?”
“You mean she’s under a lot of pressure?” Kiara raised an eyebrow.
Galatea made a dismissive motion. “I don’t think you have any concept of how alone she is — both of us are, I suppose, though I’ve never been human. Regina is very, very alone in the world. If she didn’t happen to have been made a Hive Queen, she would be very lonely. I don’t think it’s possible for a Hive Queen to be lonely. But it’s still an intensely alienating experience.”
Kiara had to suppress a shiver. “I understand that,” she said.
“Do you?” Galatea shrugged. “It’s not okay to treat your people as backward savages, of course. We might be getting a bit too close to that sometimes. But I don’t think you understand just how different the world is. You only get how Regina’s acting and maybe some of her goals. Even June doesn’t, not even Janis, though she gets close.”
Kiara sighed. “I didn’t like the way she talked when we discussed the gnomes’ military coup and whether we could have seen it coming,” she admitted. “I suppose you’re about to tell me that I was wrong.”
Galatea scoffed. “I’m not sure either of you was wrong, but it also doesn’t really matter for the point we’re talking about.”
“So, you’re not telling me to be mindful of Regina and ‘cut her some slack’ because of these differences?”
The AI shrugged and shook her head at the same time. “Not in the way you’re thinking, if Regina needs it, you should be perfectly ready to give her a kick in the pants.”
Kiara choked a bit on another sip of tea she was taking. She put the cup down and leaned back, contemplating what Galatea had said.
She had to admit that she had let some resentments fester. Kiara had never expected to be queen of Cernlia, but it still chafed to immediately lose sovereignty of the nation. It would chafe for everyone, surely? Regina hadn’t seemed to properly value and appreciate it. Going by what Galatea said, though, she supposed she might have simply different expectations and attitudes for things like that. It was rather clear that she didn’t expect a relationship where the vassal would simply rule their territory independently, pay taxes to their liege and send men to their wars, anyway.
Besides, it was Kiara herself who’d made that choice. In part, she’d knelt because she knew of Regina’s power and that it would grow quickly. There was a chance Regina would force the issue militarily, eventually, and it was better to join her on her terms than risk that — ‘getting in on the ground floor of her empire’, Janis had called it once, and she wasn’t wrong. It was probably unfair to blame Regina too much for that.
And more importantly, Kiara had always told herself she wouldn’t be like the men who came before her, that she was willing to suffer losses if it meant better lives for her people, and that was still true. I might have just found it a bit harder to live up to the words, she admitted. But because she’d been a little resentful anyway, it had paved the way to feeling annoyed or slighted over other issues, even minor ones.
“We’re friends,” she finally said. “Any issues will work themselves out.”
And Kiara meant it. She did respect and admire Regina, irritation aside, and for both political and personal reasons, she didn’t want to lose her friendship.
“It’s always good for friends to talk honestly with each other and mention any issues,” Galatea commented.
True, but that logic doesn’t make the two of us friends, yet, Kiara thought, but didn’t say. “Of course,” she agreed mildly.
“The HRE was a federal nation with much autonomy for its constituent states, until the end,” Galatea said. “Regina isn’t going to be unreasonable about centralizing too much.” Her expression indicated that if she was going to, Kiara wasn’t the only one who could ‘kick her ass’.
Kiara smiled. “I think I quite enjoyed our talk, Lady Galatea. We should repeat it more often.”
The mana-form lifted her cup in salute and smiled. “Any time, Queen Kiara.” Then she paused, set it down, and stood up. “By the way, to assuage your curiosity, yes, I can eat or drink. It’s not automatic and takes some energy without providing much benefit, though, so I generally don’t.”
Kiara knew she shouldn’t, but she still flushed a bit in embarrassment. I should have just asked. “I’ll keep that in mind,” she replied. “I bid you a goodnight, then.”
Galatea returned the farewell and left quickly. Kiara got ready for bed and then tossed and turned for a while, too restless to sleep easily. Her mind kept circling back through their conversation as well as past ones.
She wished Janis was here, but it looked like she might be reduced to missing her.
When Kiara woke up the next day, she was still feeling tired and took a bit of extra time to ensure her appearance was flawless. Luckily, everything had been properly prepared the night before. She did have to suffer through goodbyes, but at least they were relatively quick, especially since she’d chosen to have them in the courtyard instead of waiting and sitting inside. Regina sent several of her personal team of bodyguards along with her and reminded her she could use them to contact her if she needed anything. Kiara managed a bright smile and thanked her sincerely. Mercifully, Regina kept the goodbyes brief. She was probably already diving into the psychic link as she walked back into the building.
Kiara rode through the city on her most impressive horse. There had been no big announcement, but people still gathered at the sides of the street to see them off. She waved and smiled a bit. Everyone else got out of the way of the royal party, so luckily, they made good time through the city.
Once they had exited the city and were and on the road leading through fields and pastures, she breathed a bit easier. It had gone well, she judged. Now Kiara was looking forward to the tour. Her attendants kept quiet and she had the opportunity to just enjoy traveling through the countryside for some hours, watching as the sun started to disappear behind the horizon.
It didn’t last, unfortunately. They had only gone a few leagues from the city, not yet at their planned stop for the night, when Sir Richard rode up to her.
“There is news, Your Majesty,” he informed her.
Kiara nodded, then glanced at Jay, who was following him. “What news?” she asked them.
“Reports from the southern border, my Queen,” Richard answered. “There have been several encounters with gnomish soldiers.”
Kiara sucked in a breath. “They’re not invading, are they?”
To her relief, Jay shook his head. “The Hive has a few Winged Drones covering the area and we checked. There’s no great buildup and definitely no large invasion force crossing the border.”
“Raids, then,” Kiara muttered.
The two men nodded. “Regina has already ordered more soldiers into the area to track and harass or possibly counter them,” the drone said. “She’s conferring with Ben on it now.”
Kiara suppressed a sigh. Of all the times for this to happen, it had to be when she just left for her trip.