Path of the Hive Queen

Chapter 338: Reception

Regina had a lot to do, what with ruling the Empire, pushing her reforms forward, restructuring the military, integrating the gnomes, training her students, intensifying her intelligence efforts in hostile countries — and yet, it felt like a part of her mind was always on what was happening in the south. Like she wasn’t able to properly be at ease until she knew what was going on there.Maybe she was too spoiled by the psychic link. The knowledge that some of her people were out of her range, fighting and possibly being hurt, while she had to wait in ignorance, was grating. Maybe she got a taste of how most people in this day and age lived now, but that didn’t mean she liked it.

As a result of this, she had obviously spent some effort on the south. Max stayed for a while, and they were pushing progress on building their new road perhaps faster than was wise. After some deliberation, Regina shifted her ‘court’ to Forest’s Haunt again for a while, since it was closer, and meant her psychic range extended farther into the mountains. This time, like before, Ira stayed in Cera to handle some of her affairs, but the psychic link meant she was hardly out of touch with the rest of the people she worked with. Kiara actually seemed a bit relieved to get her own palace back for a few weeks, which Regina tried not to feel guilty about. They would hopefully be able to move to the new capital soon, anyway. For now, this also meant she was currently closer to Nerlia and the Western Confederation, so she decided she might as well take advantage of it.

Of her new psychic students, June and a few others accompanied her, while a few of them stayed in Cera. Madris had agreed to provide some oversight for them. Regina took the opportunity for a few more training exercises in the new environment, and she felt they were coming along pretty well. Soon, she would be able to actually use them for some tasks. Perhaps even screening people. By now, that felt more like an annoying chore than anything else, even if she still didn’t take her looks into people’s heads lightly. But it was astounding what someone could get used to.

They’d almost settled into a new routine when new developments captured her attention again. This time, it was a message passed from a soldier Dan had sent back — unfortunately with a good chunk of their Winged Drones, since they couldn’t have guaranteed his safe arrival otherwise. Max immediately sent more men to help escort him back once he was in range, and the psychic link meant the message was passed on quickly, giving Regina enough time to consider it.

She hadn’t spared much thought to the dwarvish settlements in the mountains before, which was clearly a mistake. Obviously they would be quite important if the Empire wanted to build a real trade route through the mountains. It seemed they were perhaps more present and confident than she’d expected from what Galatea had said and what Tim had reported, but maybe that shouldn’t be a surprise, either — they’d survived in the mountains, after all. Clearly the dwarves had to have some high-level people, if nothing else.

Regina knew she had to send people to talk to them, as quickly as possible. Dan had done well enough, for being unprepared, and it wasn’t like she fundamentally disagreed with his choices. He’d laid out some of his reasoning in the letter he’d sent along, and while he was wrong on some details, he’d correctly guessed the main position she would take. Regardless of whether fighting the dwarves would be feasible or a good use of resources, it was obviously much better to talk to them and come to a peaceful agreement. For a variety of reasons.

Which didn’t mean they had to give them everything they asked for freely. Regina knew she had the stronger position and she wasn’t above using that in negotiations.

Fortunately, she actually had people she could send as proper diplomats, unlike for her first efforts at reaching out to other people. One of the departments they had been building up was a foreign office, and although it was still very much under construction and in flux, they had a few people who were basically career diplomats now. Mostly minor nobles with previous diplomatic experience. But she would take what she could get. Of course, she also needed to send at least one drone along, for communication if nothing else. For that, she picked Via. She would have chosen Ray, but he was busy with the elves, and Via was already right there at the new base. Plus, sending a healer as her envoy should hopefully help show them that she had peaceful intentions.

Regina let the diplomatic party take some of their fastest flying mounts to get to the base the Empire was currently using for their project in the mountains, from which they would go on with an escort. It was still risky, but she had also received some information that should make it easier for them to meet the dwarves at a safe spot.

Regina was still very conscious of the old Hivekind base Tim had found in the south, and any deals she cut with the residents of the mountains — or the dwarves living in the cities beyond, she wasn’t sure how that would shake out — would only help them.

She had to wait until Galatea finally returned from another extended trip before she could ask another question she had been wondering, though.

“Why didn’t you talk more about the dwarves?”

Her friend visibly paused. They were currently standing on a balcony in one of the newer wings the drones had built into the main base, after Regina’s personal quarters had been moved. It was more accessible to the outside, while still being secure and providing convenient access to the nursery. The various hangers-on who’d come from the court in Cera were housed close by, but one layer of security lower. Right now, it just meant they had some privacy to talk while having a good view of the developing city.

“To be honest, I just didn’t consider it very relevant,” Galatea admitted. “The impression I got in the southern lands is that their remaining villages are scattered and barely held. Remnants that don’t really have a bearing on anything. I tried to find one a few times, mostly out of curiosity, but when I didn’t get more than the occasional dwarvish fighter, I just left.” She shrugged lightly. “In hindsight, I realize what I heard was biased and I shouldn’t have assumed.”

Regina nodded. “Were they hiding from you?”

“… Perhaps,” Galatea mused quietly. “I should also have realized hiding their villages was not a simple prospect, but as you know, I do less well with underground structures.”

“Well, it’s a moot point now. What else did you learn on your last trip?”here were only hive drones or those she trusted to keep their secrets here. And it was obvious what they were speaking of now, so she might as well bring it up. “You must be quite brave to come here, either way. You were seen somewhere you should not be, perhaps meddling with what you should not have.”

The artificer pulled a face. “I had no intentions of disrespecting your race or memory, Your Majesty. I am not your enemy.”

“And yet, your tools are being used by those in conflict with my people,” Regina said in a low tone.

They bowed their head without answering for a moment. “The people I am working with are perhaps not as wise as I would wish,” they finally said.

“A poor justification,” she scoffed, playing it up a bit. “Is your promise of information equally poor? I tire of your equivocation.”

The artificer licked their lips and straightened up, meeting her gaze squarely again.

“I know what they are seeking in the old base, and what you may find there, Your Majesty. I know where what remains of the Hivekind’s knowledge is hidden. It should be yours to hold, so I will gladly tell you what I know. I only ask for some slight measure of your knowledge in return.”

Regina leaned back in her throne, resisting the urge to grin. “Now, Master Artificer,” she said, “I believe we may have a productive conversation.”

Spreading her own knowledge was what she was doing already, she’d simply censor what they got. But she felt her rising excitement mirrored in the others in the room at what they might learn now. And even if it was overstated, she should still be able to use the golem artificer against their allies in the south to secure control of the base.