Just because she understood why her mother had to go didn’t mean she had to like it. The bond between them made it easy to for the more complicated nuances of her mother’s reasons to get across to her even if she didn’t fully grasp the concepts as a whole. At the heart of it, she could feel that it was an important and necessary duty that her mother had to fulfill. She’d heard time and time again about how her mother was not going to be the kind of ruler that hid behind walls and battlements. She would be an active influence on the world, the world that she claimed as her own.
Stella was still small, but she was certain she was smart compared to other children. She was only a year old and already walking and talking, unlike auntie Azrael’s pudgy baby that could barely do anything on its own. That made Stella special, different, she could do amazing things-some she hadn’t even told her mothers about. She smiled merrily to herself as she marveled at how cunning she was, slipping through the passages she’d found while exploring the palace and following the route towards her destination. The little manikin she made earlier was a perfect copy of herself, cute button nose and all. She didn’t know why her mother always fawned over her nose, but she wasn’t going to complain. She liked the attention.
The princess sang a song that she’d never heard before but popped into her head as she walked, “...to dungeons deep and caverns old,” She sing-songed, swaying left and right while she bounded past black marble walls infused with veins of gold. Everything was smooth and shiny, she’d been awestruck by the beauty of the place the first time she saw it but now it was just more of the same. Now that she thought about it, she wasn’t really sure how many times she’d snuck off like this. She supposed it didn’t really matter, where she was going was one of the safest places in the world besides the palace itself, of course.
“One day, your mothers are going to find out you’ve been doing this,” A chilly voice said behind her.
Stella rolled her four eyes and groaned, “Journey! Why are you here?” She complained, rounding on the floating lady. Given the close quarters it looked like she’d opted not to bring out those big wings of hers.
“Keeping an eye on you, troublemaker,” The being said and floated up to her, “You’re quite fortunate I don’t tell your mother what you’ve been up to.”
Stella gasped, “Please don’t!” She begged, “I want to see my friends!”
Journey let out a long suffering sigh, “You’re lucky I find your mother to be aggravating and you to be cute, very well.”
Stella grinned ear to ear and put her hands on her hips, “Cute as a button! Whatever that means!”
Journey pursed her lips but said nothing, glancing down the hall and narrowing her eyes, “I see. That’s why you come down here. I suppose it makes sense.”
The princess hopped up and down on the balls of her feet, her eyes sparkling, “Do you want me to introduce you? They’re really nice!”
The strange floating woman’s face went stony for a moment before evening out into that usual disinterested flatness that Stella knew for a fact was a mask to hide another emotion. She turned her brilliantly glowing eyes on Stella and raised an eyebrow, “I would much rather simply observe from afar, if it’s all the same to you, Princess.”
Stella shrugged, “Suit yourself!” she chirped and turned back on her heel, bounding down the hallway. She didn’t want to leave her manikin behind for too long otherwise it might do something that the maids or mama Yaga would find suspicious. She snickered to herself, she was so clever. She rushed down the path at a breakneck speed, the wind whipping past her and sending her antennae fluttering about. She stopped now and then to spring forward with a powerful leap, her legs carrying her hundreds of feet at a time before landing and running again. She let out a whoop as she hit the ground and glanced back at the empty air behind her. “How was that, Journey? Longest one yet!”
“Very impressive, Princess,” Journey’s voice intoned from all around her, “You covered nearly three hundred feet, in your mother’s measurements.”
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“Is that good?” Stella asked. “I don’t know how far heroes or mom can jump, but I bet its better than the people from mom’s world!”
“Significantly so,” Journey said mildly.
“Yay!” Stella whooped again and broke off into another run, “Almost there!”
Another few minutes went by in silence as Stella raced down the seemingly endless hall before it suddenly came to a stop up ahead, the immutable marble cracked and broken apart revealing a yawning chasm beyond. There was nothing but blackness in the space at the end of the hall when Stella slid to a stop, peeking over the side and tilting her head to listen. The vast open space was filled with faint sounds of chittering and movement, the scent of dirt and soil mixing with other odors that she couldn’t quite pick out but she’d found to be pleasant with all the times she’d visited.
“Viiiiiiirraaaaaaa!” Stella called down into the abyss, “I’m here!”
The ground shook slightly beneath her feet, rumbling and quaking as the great beast down below began to stir. Soon she heard the sound of powerful limbs crashing into the wall of the chasm below as it began its ascent. In moments, the massive insect loomed over the entrance to the hallway, its enormous head barely fitting at the opening. It twisted its powerful neck to the right and turned a multi-faceted eye to look upon her, mandibles powerful enough to crush towers clacking together.
Queen among queens! She who stands above the Empress of the Kin. This ruler of the Rilk greets you, mighty Stella! The creatures voice entered her mind as a chorus of voices, squeaks, rasps, and clicks. Stella smiled brightly up at the creature and reached forward to place a hand on her mandibles.
“Hi Viira! How are you?”
I am well, young majesty, great consumer. My children thrive and my subordinate queens adhere to my whim. They challenge one another and grow in strength, my existence is one of feasting and achievement. The Lord of the Wildlands crowed into her head, throwing its head back and letting out a bellowing roar of exaltation.
Stella pursed her lips, “Woah! You must be having a lot of fun outside then!” She gasped, tugging on her shirt. “Do you have any stories?”
Viira’s jaws clacked together as it rolled its head in thought for a moment before turning to her, A mighty beast arrived in the Wildlands nought a fortnight ago, young Majesty. It possessed a powerful body of two arms and legs and towered over the trees. It sought my throne having heard that my predecessor had fallen, the Lydan. It rasped, It called me out to the steppes where I went to face it, two of my queens as witness to the battle should I flee and disgrace my title. I rose from the dirt and bellowed my challenge and we engaged in glorious bloodshed.
Stella sat down in rapt attention as the great beast continued to spin its tale of the vicious battle. Her eyes wide with delight as she listened along. She clapped and cheered when Viira landed a blow and gasped when her foe got the upper hand.
It was as my foe had me on the backfoot that I rallied and wielded my goddess-given gift. I released a terrible howl that shook my foe to its core, the sound burning its eyes and ruining its ears. Stunned, it fell before me as I landed atop it, ripping it to shreds. Its blood and flesh became sustenance for my growth and strengthened me for my next clutch. Viira finished, clacking its jaws proudly as it went silent, the brutal story having come to an end.
“Woah,” Stella breathed, wide eyed, “That was amazing. You won!”
Yes! And my queens have learned their place all the more in this great hierarchy. Their Empress still reigns supreme among the rilks and the wilds. Viira declared, All in service to your majesty and your god-mother.
“She doesn’t like it when you call her that,” Stella said thoughtfully, rubbing at her lip.
Indeed, but she is modest. Her role as our supreme being is without question. What else do we call one above an Empress and her Lady Liege?
Stella nodded, “Oh that makes sense,” she said, “Mom’s so silly. I miss her.”
She will return stronger than ever, of this I have no doubt. Fear not, majesty.
“Thank you Viira, I needed that,” Stella said from her seat and reached up to pat the giant mandible offered to her, “I hope someday I will get to go out and explore like she does.”
The creature pulled back and let out another roar of triumph, I look forward to that day too, when your body has caught up with your magnificence! Viira declared, I know that on that day, all the world will tremble!