The next few days I spend mostly talking with my family, much to dad's dismay.
After that last episode, we try to get used as a family to my far too strong pheromone output.
Talk about weird family issues.
Apparently, too strong influence from my side can cause nausea after long-term exposure if one fights the urges coming from my wishes.
It's not like I'm controlling their minds but rather it's like very demanding orders.
Nonetheless, they're getting used to it, if only step by step.
Naturally, I also try to get some princess work done.
This includes foremost attending the human guests and trying to make everything within the hive appear to them as friendly as possible.
I also often converse with Temia and Olira about how we could handle certain aspects of the budding diplomatic relations.
Aside from that I honestly don't have much to do.
Apparently "princess" is a pretty "laid" back job.
Well, no one would put a princess to work.
My job is simply "that".
Aside from "that", the human delegation is sufficiently accommodated, the drones do their respective jobs, and there was no further incident caused by Honiu.
So I spend some day in quite some leisure.
And boredom.
Don't get me wrong, it's good that there was no catastrophe but boredom is boredom.
Heck, I was even so far that I again tried learning to fly in my courtyard.
Toris was completely into watching my attempts.
Yet his enthusiasm wavered after my fifth hard crash on the ground and was replaced with worry.
It's not like I didn't make any progress.
I can now keep myself in the air for some time.
Yet the bruises are a good reminder that the slightest mistake can end pretty badly.
The other part is that I don't have any excuses to avoid certain activities.
As such I have also to do things like this.
"My princess, since you've finished today's session, how about visiting the nursery?" (K)
Yes, visiting my brood is also part of my duties.
At least I think so.
I cannot change that I gave life to these insects.
The simple thought is hard to deal with, but on the other hand, they're innocent.
They aren't responsible for the situation and I should at least show them that I care about their existence.
Even if I'm not able to directly care for such great numbers as I'm dealing with, the least I can do is to show that I recognize their existence.
"Fine, just let me take a dress." (E)
So I regularly visit the nursery.
It's still a very odd experience.
Maybe it's the mix of my knowledge of their origin and seeing how elated they are to see me.
And in addition, comes this ridiculous growth speed.
The first workers are already almost of full size.
It still seems that older ones are a bit larger than youngsters, but not by too much.
The other, more complex roles, will still need some time.
But I become more and more aware that soon I'll have to figure out how to distribute a good thousand insects.
And this every week!
Yet the weirdest interactions I have with my royal guards.
They hatched quite quickly.
Kyska related this to the time they already could spend inside me, which I absolutely didn't want to hear.
Now I can observe how they continue growing at a rapid pace.
At first, they were just larvae, but then they soon started to grow a carapace.
Now they kinda look like kids.
Really creepy little kiddos, with no faces, four claw arms, and a demeanor as if they were born to serve as soldiers.
Which they maybe were.
Far too disciplined, no playtime, and expectant to receive orders.
I feel a little as if I did something wrong by creating them.
I mean, child soldiers are nothing I wanna use.
And that's what they are.
However, I can't deny that my initial plan was to use them as guards.
Maybe not for actual war, but it's still about solving combat situations.
Yet I intend to wait till they're grown up before I'll even let them come close to a dangerous situation.
The least I can do till that time comes is to give them some attention.
Just like now.
(F)
Did I mention that my mother is still one of the regular caregivers in the private nursery, to add to all the weirdness?
"Hi, mum. How are they?" (E)
The next few days I spend mostly talking with my family, much to dad's dismay.
After that last episode, we try to get used as a family to my far too strong pheromone output.
Talk about weird family issues.
Apparently, too strong influence from my side can cause nausea after long-term exposure if one fights the urges coming from my wishes.
It's not like I'm controlling their minds but rather it's like very demanding orders.
Nonetheless, they're getting used to it, if only step by step.
Naturally, I also try to get some princess work done.
This includes foremost attending the human guests and trying to make everything within the hive appear to them as friendly as possible.
I also often converse with Temia and Olira about how we could handle certain aspects of the budding diplomatic relations.
Aside from that I honestly don't have much to do.
Apparently "princess" is a pretty "laid" back job.
Well, no one would put a princess to work.
My job is simply "that".
Aside from "that", the human delegation is sufficiently accommodated, the drones do their respective jobs, and there was no further incident caused by Honiu.
So I spend some day in quite some leisure.
And boredom.
Don't get me wrong, it's good that there was no catastrophe but boredom is boredom.
Heck, I was even so far that I again tried learning to fly in my courtyard.
Toris was completely into watching my attempts.
Yet his enthusiasm wavered after my fifth hard crash on the ground and was replaced with worry.
It's not like I didn't make any progress.
I can now keep myself in the air for some time.
Yet the bruises are a good reminder that the slightest mistake can end pretty badly.
The other part is that I don't have any excuses to avoid certain activities.
As such I have also to do things like this.
"My princess, since you've finished today's session, how about visiting the nursery?" (K)
Yes, visiting my brood is also part of my duties.
At least I think so.
I cannot change that I gave life to these insects.
The simple thought is hard to deal with, but on the other hand, they're innocent.
They aren't responsible for the situation and I should at least show them that I care about their existence.
Even if I'm not able to directly care for such great numbers as I'm dealing with, the least I can do is to show that I recognize their existence.
"Fine, just let me take a dress." (E)
So I regularly visit the nursery.
It's still a very odd experience.
Maybe it's the mix of my knowledge of their origin and seeing how elated they are to see me.
And in addition, comes this ridiculous growth speed.
The first workers are already almost of full size.
It still seems that older ones are a bit larger than youngsters, but not by too much.
The other, more complex roles, will still need some time.
But I become more and more aware that soon I'll have to figure out how to distribute a good thousand insects.
And this every week!
Yet the weirdest interactions I have with my royal guards.
They hatched quite quickly.
Kyska related this to the time they already could spend inside me, which I absolutely didn't want to hear.
Now I can observe how they continue growing at a rapid pace.
At first, they were just larvae, but then they soon started to grow a carapace.
Now they kinda look like kids.
Really creepy little kiddos, with no faces, four claw arms, and a demeanor as if they were born to serve as soldiers.
Which they maybe were.
Far too disciplined, no playtime, and expectant to receive orders.
I feel a little as if I did something wrong by creating them.
I mean, child soldiers are nothing I wanna use.
And that's what they are.
However, I can't deny that my initial plan was to use them as guards.
Maybe not for actual war, but it's still about solving combat situations.
Yet I intend to wait till they're grown up before I'll even let them come close to a dangerous situation.
The least I can do till that time comes is to give them some attention.
Just like now.
(F)
Did I mention that my mother is still one of the regular caregivers in the private nursery, to add to all the weirdness?
"Hi, mum. How are they?" (E)
