Young Queen

Egg

Dione, the queen of the nest stood at the egg burrow. It was a large space, larger than most of the others. Workers ran in and out, sorting the older offspring from the younger ones. Most of the workers were quite light. They were clearly younger. Dione could see clumps of her eggs. Her offspring, her children and servants. None of them would have names but the future queens and mates. She wondered if the servants even wanted names. They almost never spoke, just somehow knew how to synchronize. They worked hard and worked well. All of them hers, all hers. Her thoughts ran through her
mind as more eggs were laid, being picked up almost immediately by the colony's workers. They were so loyal to a queen who did nothing for them. They could hog food for themselves and live life to the fullest, but the didn't. Was it instinct? Did they just like the nest? Or were they too hollow minded to think of leaving the nest? Likely the first and last. Why would something willingly be a servant? Dione laid her final egg of the day, observing her growing workers. She knew that the eggs she had laid would grow to be like her, large and powerful. Given a name to be proud of, and they would produce their own offspring. Dione often wondered if the few female workers ever wanted to mate. Most animals mated even if they worked in a herd or pack, instead of relying on one. What if the ants felt a need to mate? How sad it would be if they tried and failed. Then again, the workers were just that. Useless, nameless servants to tend to the queen and eggs. Just there to keep the nest afloat. As she finished this thought, sighing with discomfort of her own thoughts being so wild, a worker came to her and fed her. She had almost forgotten to eat. The worker transferred food to her. She couldn't help but notice that the ant was fairly small. It was dark, though. Old. Had she made such a small worker? She did remember that her colony had raided a nearby nest a while ago. Strange how some ants may not be hers. She found herself disappointed in the ant, and when she had been fed she signaled for a larger ant to kill the thing. It was worthless, another queen's servant, not her own. She ate the body of the small thing. Satisfied with her meal, she rested in the cozy burrow. Watching the ants rush to sort her eggs just to be replaced by more workers was comforting in a way. She went to sleep.