Chapter 254: Chapter 235: Plans and Surprises

Regina had suspected she would be disappointed by the results of Tia’s little project, or their little experiment, as she’d called it once.

In the end, it did turn out to be rather anti-climactic. Not necessarily because the effects were insufficient, though. It was simply hard to see what was going on and to assess the results at all. After all, they didn’t exactly have cameras in the tunnels that were claimed by the water, or the gnomish settlements in line to be flooded.

Regina did try to keep an eye out and had detached some drones for that task, of course. Winged Drones circling as close to the gnomes as they dared, and a few Scouts. They would be able to get an idea of what happened regarding the above-ground settlements, but it was harder for the underground parts, which would be the most affected.

Tia had prepared well, calculated the volume of water and its flow through the opening tunnel she’d chosen, and set everything off so the flood started with no issues. The hive had already secured their own tunnels and areas of operations. One area in particular had to be secured by a barrier they’d specially constructed to stop all of the water, since it would otherwise be flooded. This meant it was temporarily cut off from the rest, at least from this direction, but the drones responsible had all been warned and were working with Tia’s team to make sure things went according to plan.

Sometimes, Regina really appreciated the ability of her hive for coordination. This was one of those times. She was sure humans would be able to do the same, but she had trouble imagining it outside of more modern states and their advanced means of communication. The psychic link really let her people cheat.

It took a surprising amount of time for the water level to sink completely again, at least to Regina. She’d half-imagined the water would just shoot through the tunnels and leave them clear behind it again. Apparently not quite.

Most of the effects of the attack (and despite not involving soldiers, at least at this stage, she was certain it was an attack) could be seen indirectly. Regina meditated for a bit, tracking the clusters of gnomish minds spread on the western side of their territory, and she noticed the shifts and movements that followed it. The drones reported the same reaction.

Of course, there was no reason to let a perfectly good disruption go to waste. The hive had had to adjust their plans for some tunnels being blocked and even possible cave-ins, but she had the impression Tim had enjoyed the challenge.

Shortly after the receding water levels made it possible again, a significant part of the troops the hive had stationed down there were on the move, closing in on selected bases and settlements of the gnomes. Regina could tell there would be no major battles, judging from the distribution of the gnomes she could sense with her psychic abilities, so she didn’t focus too much on it, mostly just checking that her drone commanders had everything in hand and looking in on a few skirmishes and short sieges.

The fighting was almost entirely underground, and very different from fighting in an open plain aboveground. The hive’s usual tactics of trying to swarm and surround enemies didn’t work as well in the tunnels, although they could still bring the weight of their numbers to bear, and their coordination enabled by the psychic link was even more important. She watched a few groups, seeing the way the sapient drones staggered their advance and timed when they would appear at certain intersections. They managed to assemble bigger groups when there were caves and open areas, usually where the gnomes had built outposts. Those were dealt with quickly compared to the slog to get forward through the tunnels.

The other reason she didn’t pay as much attention to this was that her attention was required elsewhere, especially because of Kiara and what had happened.

June had hurried back, as she’d expected. It had been a rather touching reunion, although Regina didn’t watch too closely, to give them their privacy. Not that privacy was much of a thing with the hive, of course. There was almost always a drone around somewhere that could theoretically see something. It was one of the reasons she’d made sure the Lyns women had private rooms in a quieter area, so they’d have some space.

Florance Lyns, for her part, seemed to be avoiding Regina. She suspected the older lady was struggling with coming to terms with everything that was happening and how to react. There was no smoothing over the rift between her husband and her daughter. She had to be afraid at least one member of her family would die (if not more). Regina felt for her, vaguely, but she wasn’t sure what she could do. She’d also never had a good understanding of Florance’s relationship with the marquis. They probably had an arranged marriage, but they did have several children together. Then there was the suspicion he’d pressured her to have children even despite her - at least potential - health risks. It was obviously very private and Regina just hoped the family would be able to work things out for themselves. Florance and her daughters, at least.

Janis spent more time with Kiara, and from what Regina could tell, June and even Florance approved of her, although a bit grudgingly in the latter case. Janis was clearly helping them, though, and despite the tension, the two of them were happy in a way Regina hadn’t sensed from them before.

She told herself it was worth the headaches it brought. Regina wasn’t entirely sure she believed herself. She did tell Janis to spend time with Kiara and not worry too much about her responsibilities to the hive, though.

She also shouldn’t have been surprised to hear that Marianne Neralt used this development as an excuse to go home, which gave Regina the opportunity to talk to her in person, and also the chance to put a bit of space between them in accordance with at least Florance’s clear if unspoken wishes. Regina went to visit the baron and his mother in their mansion, which they’d recently renovated a little with help from the hive. Not sure what that says about their priorities, she mused. But on the other hand, Elric Neralt hasn’t had that much to do since the start of this war.

Regina had finally told Marianne she was to be Governor of a significant part of the territory the hive had come to rule recently. The final borders were still uncertain, since the end of the war with Cernlia — and later, potential fighting with the Esemen — could still change things. But she’d most likely end up with about half of the ‘extra’ land outside the hive’s core holdings, while someone else would manage the other half. It might be Janis, but currently, Regina was inclined to leave it as a sort of new, largely temporary position, which members of the hive or others could fill depending on their skills and current requirements. It would most likely be the most turbulent and variable area, strategically important for current or coming wars. It would be more closely watched by her and the hive anyway. Janis could have another position somewhere above it. Perhaps after a stint in that role. It could include oversight responsibilities but also a particular focus on another area like technological advancement and corresponding social reform, perhaps even magical innovation.

The system was a bit complicated, even just the basic outlines Regina had drawn up, and thinking it up had given her a headache. But she wanted checks and balances, and she needed to balance the trust and freedom of action she was willing to give to others. Not to mention the ability of the central leadership to set policy for all of their current and future territory. Or, to put it more simply, to see her own will enacted. That was part of why Regina expected to curtail the administrative and political power given to the territorially-bound offices and to set up other structures with authority all across her domain, for areas such as education or law enforcement. Like government agencies and ministries in a modern state, she supposed, for a country she was essentially just founding. Or an empire, if I want to be honest.

Regina shook her head and refocused her thoughts on who should fill the tentative appointments they’d created. She’d give it another round of discussions with Mia, Jem and a few others, hopefully with input from Galatea. But she was already certain that, while she wanted to appoint some hive drones to key positions, they needed to be open to other people, too, regardless of race. Janis and Marianne were a good start, but not enough. Ben would almost certainly head the military as a whole, and Mia might get a civilian administrative office. Others as well, according to their specialties. She liked the thought of giving Tim a title or office where he was set apart a little, as her personal champion, and not bound by the regular structure; maybe empowered to clean it of corruption and taking on missions from her, when he wasn’t occupied with a military campaign. A few others — perhaps including Galatea, but she’d need to think about that and ask her — could be Regina’s advisors with varying extra official powers and responsibilities.

On the whole, planning an autocratic government structure gave her goosebumps (or the equivalent sensation, if she’d been able to get those, anyway), but a part of her she suspected belonged to her Hive Queen side was curling up in contentment. Especially when she conscientiously left room for expansion. Adjustments to the structures, and the possibility of her dominion’s expansion.

Regina put down the pen with which she’d just scratched a few adjustments and ideas onto the paper she’d used for developing her idea, staring down at it. With a sigh, she folded it in half and leaned back, stretching her neck and trying to get the kinks out. She’d been so focused she’d lost sight of everything else, even the uncomfortable position she’d just been in, half-lounging on the bed to write on her desk.

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Just as Regina was standing up, she noticed that Max had vanished from his usual guard position outside her room. No one else had replaced him, either. Frowning, she cast her mind out quickly, searching.

What she found made Regina jerk from the bed, almost falling to the floor, and turn to hurry out of her private rooms. She could sense where Max was, quickly moving through this part of the base. But more importantly, she could also sense Ace and a few others at the edges of the hive complex, and feel the heightened emotions gripping them. It was a combination she’d only encountered when it came to battle. And just now, two Swarm Drones had started feeling pain as well, she now realized.

Regina focused on what was happening even as she left her room and started jogging down the corridor, waving a few of the bodyguards Max had organized to join her. It took her a moment to realize that the bad feeling she got was mostly because there was a disconnect in what her senses were telling her.

There were intruders in the hive. She could sense their minds, focusing on it now, although the psychic link and all the minds in it this close together made it harder for her to notice. They were not visible, though. The drones had noticed them because their scent, while apparently suppressed, was still faintly detectable.

Regina cursed to herself, quickly sending an alert to the other drones in the base, then slowed down and focused harder, mentally joining Ada and Max as she cautiously approached where they were fighting the intruders. They had managed to go through the village and into the outer part of the hive’s base without being discovered, somehow bypassing their new magical wards and evading detection. There were only two of them, but they must have rather high levels. Regina was pretty sure what their goal was, though; they were closer to the rooms she’d assigned Kiara and her family than her own.

Max reached them and immediately jumped in, Charging at one of the assassins and body-checking him into the wall. The other turned to try and fight him, but then ducked and retreated when a hail of Magic Missiles shot at him.

At least they don’t seem to be as good at fighting as they might be, probably specialized primarily in stealth, Ada noted. Their invisibility should break if we keep at it.

She was proved right only a second later, when a slight shimmer in the air announced the two men becoming visible to the drones’ eyes.

Regina stopped and leaned against the wall. Max was too busy to berate her for heading into danger, but she knew she should be cautious. Instead, she focused on their minds, trying to read what she could and maybe influence them.

The intruders had both clearly had some training, so it wouldn’t be easy. Regina bore down on them with her full mental weight, trying to crush their defenses. It didn’t work right away, but she wasn’t alone and it distracted them enough for her drones to get hits in. Max pierced one man’s leg with his blade-limb, almost pinning him to the floor, and Ada threw a javelin at the other that lodged in his side, his chainmail not sufficient protection against it.

There was a moment of tension and then the first man darted upwards, ripping the blade out of him and sending Max stumbling back. He advanced forward in a wild attack, until he was stopped by the Firebolt Janis sent as she sprinted towards them. Regina’s attention was captured by the second intruder, though. Feinting a similar attack, he instead jumped back and then raised his hand. She felt unfamiliar magic, before he vanished. Regina screwed her eyes shut and focused intently, catching only a faint trail of magic leading to the east.

There was a moment of silence in the corridor, broken only by the rattling breaths of the first intruder. Max cautiously knelt beside him and felt his pulse. It was weak and fluttering under his hand, growing weaker before it stopped. Janis rushed forward to try and heal him, but Regina could tell before she reached him it would be pointless. He had a major wound that ripped open his femoral artery, among other injuries, and third-degree burns on his upper body up to his neck. She wasn’t sure she herself would be able to save him, and she was still too far away. Regina hurried anyway.

Janis leaned back, cursing, after trying her healing Spell on the man. He still wasn’t breathing. Max tried chest compressions and mouth-to-mouth, but with a similar lack of success.

“These were assassins, sent after Kiara,” Janis finally broke the silence.

“They were,” Regina agreed. She rounded the corner, breathing heavily, but she knew they’d heard her.

Max was at her side in a flash, hovering protectively. “My Queen —“

Regina waved him off. “I did get a look into their minds, although they were jumbled,” she continued. “Still, it was very clear these were Cernlians. They were definitely after ‘the princess’. One of them thought that the king might execute them if they failed, just before he used this recall Skill, and I caught the thought. Just to be sure, I suppose I’ll have Madris look out for him and more information on this, but there’s no doubt in my mind who’s responsible for this.”

The others remained silent for a moment, considering this information.

“Well, shit,” Janis finally said what Regina was also thinking.

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