A few hours later I, Bloodhero and 10 Beemarines gathered in a semi-private training grounds of Hive Supremo.
Semi-private, because although it was placed away from the main buildings of the hive, the only thing that separated it from the surroundings was a tiny wax fence.
All 12 of us and also *an entire damned crowd* of people who also wanted to be a part of this conversation!
It wasn't their business, but bees liked to gossip, and the news that I had defeated a wasp with a single punch flew faster than the wind itself.
The one who took them the closest to heart was Ambrosia, who even now was glaring at Bloodhero. But besides her, there were dozens of Lieutenants and Chiefs of different professions, each of which watched with awe and Bloodhero with disapproval.
I told them to scatter once already, but they were just replaced by other people…
"Enough of that," Ambrosia said suddenly.
She threw a glance, then turned to the crowd and flew a ter into the air, raising her arms.
"Everybody not invited, disperse at once! This is an order, an order from your Queen! And tell others to get away, too!"
Her voice, loud and glacier-cold, cut through the surrounding noise like a knife through a piece of tofu. With it, a wave of her signature scent spread around, one that was so tantalizing and comforting to .
Ambrosia's Queen pheromones!
Whether it was the regal aura Ambrosia always emitted, or the pheromones, but they did what my shouts could not—they actually made the spectators leave. In seconds, no one was left within earshot, and soon enough, nobody dared to even look.
Only after that, Ambrosia landed back on the ground and turned to Bloodhero and the Beemarines.
"Now, explain to why I hear my consort was attacked and had to defend himself in a fight despite being surrounded by dozens of Warriors?"
Her glare was so cold that even I wanted to step away, hug myself and wait for the earth to swallow —and I wasn't the target of her ire! But although Bloodhero swallowed audibly, she t Ambrosia's eyes. Neither of the Beemarines was looking away, either.
I put my hands on my hips and silently let Amby grill them all.
While we flew here, I had ti to think about this situation.
I wasn't about to replace Bloodhero—it would take weeks by this point to train soone who could take her place, even from Chief Warriors. But she had to learn from this experience.
And Beemarines needed so re-education. I doubted that their existing attitude could change much by this point—they passed their most child-like period of developnt already. However, it had to be at least curbed.
Soone had to be stern with them, and Amby was just so much better at that than I ever could be! I had to talk myself off from forgiving Bloodhero like three tis just on the way here.
I was the kind dad, and Amby was the scary mom!
Whom everybody obeyed better, too (even though she rarely used her authority out of the Culture Adviser position)… Now *that* felt a bit unfair.
"I made an unforgivable mistake, allowing myself and my subordinates to get distracted, Queen Ambrosia. If Father got hurt, or d-died," Bloodhero swallowed. "I-I will accept any punishnt!"
"We will accept any punishnt as well!" Beemarines echoed. "This mont of weakness was an unforgivable failure!"
Ambrosia tilted her head toward slightly. If she had pupils, she'd be giving a side-glance, I imagined.
The aning was as clear to as if I took the 'Telepathy' gene—a question. 'Was it really this bad, or did these girls all catch brain parasites?'
I gave her an appropriately pained glance. 'Both. Please, grill them, but not too much—I want all my girls to be alive afterward.'
Ambrosia turned back to Bloodhero, and I hoped she got my sign correctly.
"Punishnts are lessons to make you work better in the future! Whatever you think about—will it teach you this lesson?" Ambrosia shook her head.
I felt like this was a good ti to step in.
"Beemarines, you've been too arrogant for your own good. This is sothing I have to regularly teach Foren Bees, but arrogance can only lead to downfall! And you, Bloodhero… You focused on 'here' and 'now' without considering the full picture."
"Yes, Father," they all said in unison.
"You always say the wisest words, Father," Bloodhero added.
"But do you *understand* them?" Ambrosia asked.
There was an awkward silence.
Clearly, everybody wanted to say that they understood, but nobody dared to be so arrogant right in front of Ambrosia.
"There's still ti to make sure you *do* understand. Bloodhero, I want you to order all Beemarines to spend the next 3 days helping Artist Bees. This should teach them so humility, I hope."
"Yes, Father!"
"I will make sure the Artists know what you want them to do, Nectus," Ambrosia said. "There are plenty of smart girls among them—I'm sure they will succeed."
I smiled at her gratefully, then turned back.
"The ten of you, Beemarines… Well, you sure know how to fight. From now on, your only duty will be guarding when I leave the hive, and training to be better guards. This isn't a punishnt, by the way, I just realized I need dedicated bodyguards."
"Perhaps more than 10 of them, Nectus. At least 30…"
"Probably. I will pick more guards later, then. And you, Bloodhero!"
"Y-yes, Father?"
"In the future, when you have free ti, I want you to learn technologies from Researchina. Learn from her how to act smarter, understood? I want you to be fit for a Researcher title one day!"
"Understood, Father! I will be smart and won't make any stupid mistakes again!"
At least Bloodhero sounded burning with passion to do better. I couldn't help but smile at her.
"You don't have to do it imdiately. In three days, I want our entire army to be prepared for the siege. We've been preparing for long enough—it's ti to act, Military Adviser Bloodhero!"
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