The Bee Dungeon

The next morning, First of the Fifth’s Fourth Daughter’s wings and antennae drooped. When the scouts reported it, she hadn’t believed it. It had to have been a mistake. When news came in over the Orchard’s communer network, she hadn’t listened. But then came the King’s council, when all the queens had the honor of gathering in his presence. There, with her own eyes, she confirmed the truth.

The Seventh Daughter had finished a mobile hive and now used it to travel about, while she had barely begun work on her own. Her queen mother had assigned her a task, and then another daughter had gone and proven that she was far better at it. That meant the Fourth Daughter was now engaging in that which her queen mother hated most.

Inefficiency.

The Fourth Daughter had no idea what she should do about it. Should she persist in spending hours and days of her hives’ labor on a task that the Seventh Daughter could complete in an instant? Or should she abandon a task assigned to her by her mother, wasting her childrens’ efforts on a project that would be left unfinished? No matter what she did, she would be wasting efforts that could have been spent elsewhere, failing every lesson her queen mother ever taught her.

She had failed.

The First of the Fifth awoke and began her day. First, she checked on the tray of honey they would offer to the King today, ensuring that it remained of the finest quality they had available in the hive. After that, she arranged an offering of equal quality to be delivered to the Queen of All Bees, having learned that she desired such things from watching the King, the karnuq, and Frelis. Third, she checked on each of her children, ensuring she remained fully aware of their current state. One daughter neglected had already been too many.

So, today, she paused, and then immediately flew over to her Fourth Daughter’s part of the Bee Apartment. Her Fourth Daughter buzzed her wings and stumbled over her greeting dance.

“Q-Queen mother.”

“Keep working. Didn’t fail.”

The First of the Fifth could taste the despair roiling off the Fourth Daughter’s mana, causing her own wings to buzz. Never again would she allow her orders to cause her daughters such grief.

So, she was particularly upset when her Fourth Daughter began to dance.

“But! Seventh Daughter finished mobile hive already! Hive is too slow! Can’t keep up! Wasting wax and workers! Queen mother always said don’t waste!”

The First of the Fifth landed by her daughter and brushed her antennae, waiting for the frantic queen to calm down a bit. She spent the time considering what the Fourth Daughter had said. It was true that her Seventh Daughter had already managed to complete a mobile hive at a speed that the knowledge granted by the King told her was exceptional. If her concern was speed, then it was true that the Seventh Daughter had proven more capable at this task than the Fourth Daughter. The First of the Fifth could not lie to her child about that, so she took some time to think upon her answer.

In doing so, she discovered that the King had provided an answer. She sent a message to her Seventh Daughter via communer before dancing to her Fourth Daughter.n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om

“Come with. Want to show something.”

The Fourth Daughter was still emitting despair, but would not obey a direct order, so she followed along as the First of the Fifth began to fly. They left the Apiary and traveled to the Orchard, where they were joined by the Seventh Daughter’s mobile hive. The Fourth Daughter’s despair only grew but the First of the Fifth led them both onward. She aimed for the grove where the Orchard queens lived rather than any of the shortcuts, stopping a short distance away.

“There, can see?”

Both of her daughters froze where they were. From this distance, neither of them could mistake the form of the King, nor that of the Fourth of the Seventh. The King stretched out his hands, worker bees formed of pure mana hatching out of honeycombs of light floating above his palms. The spell bees then flew down to the ground where they joined with the Fourth of the Seventh and her hive. The First of the Fifth’s Fourth Daughter slowly landed on the ground as she tried to comprehend the sight before her.

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“King is…making mobile hive? With Fourth of the Seventh?”

The First of the Fifth set aside her desperate desire to build something with the King like that to answer her daughter’s question.

“Yes. Like how Fourth Daughter is building.”

Her Fourth Daughter stood still for a long time before tapping out a slow dance.

“…why?”

The First of the Fifth glanced towards her Seventh Daughter to ensure both were watching her. The slime queen oozed out of her mobile hive so her queen mother could see her respond.

“King tries new things, wants us to try new things. Doing something with honey and jars that Queen of All Bees and Queen of All Flowers likes. Gave us Cross-Pollination. Slower for gathering nectar, but gives new flowers to gather from. King also builds magic palaces with own hands. Doesn’t have to, can make appear like rooms and flowers, but does. Karnuq say queens of all things like.”

She landed and brushed her Fourth Daughter’s antennae once again.

“Slower not always bad, not always inefficient. Different method, different results. Worth trying. Daughter doing best at task I gave. Doing good job.”

She then turned to her Seventh Daughter.

“Seventh Daughter found new thing she can do and new room. Also doing good job. Both daughters doing good job! Love both daughters, like King loves all queens.”

Both her daughters watched her for a moment before breaking out into happy dances. The First of the Fifth joined them for a moment before considering what to do next.

“Think Fourth Daughter should complete mobile hive, then can compare with Seventh Daughter’s and King’s. Different methods, different waxes, so probably different results. We try each and find out new ways, like with honey. Once Fourth Daughter finishes hers, Fourth and Seventh Daughters should work together, see if can help. Watch King and ask Fourth of the Seventh too.”

Her Fourth Daughter glanced over to the King.

“Ask…King and Fourth of the Seventh? Can? Won’t bother evolved queen?”

The First of the Fifth immediately danced the negative.

“Fourth of the Seventh happy to help. Saved First Daughter without asking. Can also ask First Daughter to help ask Fourth of the Seventh.”

Her Fourth and Seventh Daughter watched the King and the Fourth of the Seventh for a moment more before dancing their salutes.

“Will do! Queen mother is best queen mother!”

Well, the First of the Fifth didn’t know if she agreed with that. She didn’t know exactly how the other queens handled their daughters, but she certainly knew none of them had driven their daughters to hive collapse with impossible commands and neglect. But she did know that she would never leave her daughters in despair ever again.

She was just about to return to work with her daughters when a shadow passed overhead.

“Hi! What doing?”

The First of the Fifth’s Fourth Daughter crawled a few steps back while her Seventh Daughter retreated halfway back into her mobile hive. The Fourth of the Seventh had apparently noticed them and flew over to greet them.

“Hi, Fourth of the Seventh. Was talking to daughters about mobile hives. Just finished, about to go home.”

The Fourth of the Seventh began zipping about in the air, now sending gusts of wind swirling about with her massive, Air mana coated wings. She did not seem to notice the First of the Fifth or her Fourth Daughter struggling not to be blown away.

“Really?! King is building one too for me! Am helping!”

The First of the Fifth had to remind herself of the King’s love for all bees once more before she could dance cordially.

“Yes, Fourth of the Seventh. Am aware.”

But not even the First of the Fifth could possibly have anticipated what would occur next.

“First of the Fifth’s daughters already built, though! Amazing, incredible! Can help?”

The First of the Fifth froze, barely managing to tap out a slow dance.

“Fourth of the Seventh…wants us…to help build Fourth of the Seventh’s mobile hive? With King?”

The Fourth of the Seventh zipped about.

“Would really help! Can give honey…”

The Fourth of the Seventh paused for a moment, her fluffy antennae glowing lightly.

“Oh, first communer and First Daughter say First of the Fifth has lots of honey. Want woven stems then? Made new pollen baskets, like karnuq’s! Good for gathering pollen, helps make more wax!”

The First of the Fifth tripped on her response.

“Fourth of the Seventh…will pay us to work with King?! King will let us work with?!”

“Will ask!”

Before the First of the Fifth could dance anything, the Fourth of the Seventh zipped back over to the King. The King glanced over at them, smiled, and nodded. The Fourth of the Seventh zipped back.

“King says would love help!”

The First of the Fifth’s mind went blank until the Fourth of the Seventh started poking her with her giant antennae. The First of the Fifth immediately turned to her two daughters.

“Change of plan. Help King build Fourth of the Seventh’s mobile hive. Listen to King and Fourth of the Seventh.”

Both her daughters saluted while the Fourth of the Seventh started a happy dance.

“Thanks! Helps a lot!”

The First of the Fifth had to disagree.

“No, thank you.”

At least for that moment, the First of the Fifth knew who she considered best queen.