Queen & Commander (Book One of the Hive Queen Saga)

Interlude 1: Meanwhile, Back on Dyfed

Queen Olivia, the former Captain Ceridwen, ambled through a covered market in Machynlleth, the capital city, enveloped by her Devoted entourage. After so long shipboard, where the most spacious room could only contain twelve people, the planetside market rang with strangers shouting joys and mercantile desires. At least she was protected from the worst ignominies. How much worse this must be for her Devoted, getting jostled by the unknown locals as they shielded her.

Today she intended to purchase some foodstuffs and maybe a rug for their temporary abode, the small house provided by the government.

“After over a hundred years of service and your instrumental efforts towards opening up the in-system spacelanes during the dangerous years of exploration, it’s the least we can do,” the Minister for Commerce’s representative had said. And good thing too, because Olivia had never gotten around to forming plans for her return to Dyfed. That had always seemed so far away. Without the largesse, her Hive might have been homeless, at least for these first few weeks. They had the money, but not the connections, not yet.

As a single unit her Hive shuffled away from a gaggle of teenagers and into the mostly empty deli-café. Olivia’s Devoted looked old and weary, something she’d never seen in them before. Their shoulders rode low, and their mouths frowned so deeply. She couldn’t bear to send them back out to brave the covered market again. Not yet.

“Why don’t we sit and have a spot of tea?” she suggested.

In no time, her men had pushed together a few tables and slumped down into chairs, warming cold hands around ceramic mugs.

“Don’t worry, boys.” She tried to cheer them up. “We’ll be used to this life again in no time. Why, I bet half of you will enjoy crowds, and the other half will rediscover delight in the outdoors.”

Paul, the favorite she could never admit to having, rested his space-pale, blue-veined hand against her own. Perhaps now she could request that her Hive vote to allow her a romantic companion. She’d pick Paul if she could.

“I’m looking forward to getting a tan,” he gamely rallied. A chorus of ayes greeted that suggestion.

A throat cleared behind her. “Queen Olivia Jones?”

Her Devoted stood to face this potential threat, but Olivia remained in her seat with her back to the newcomer. She was a Queen. Anyone who wished an audience would come to her. She might not stand on the formality of crowns and gowns, but she’d certainly not lower herself to interacting on a commoner’s level. She remembered the days when the then-precarious Queen and Devoted system couldn’t afford any slips.

Her men parted and allowed the stranger to kneel at her feet. When he straightened without permission, she had to look up at him. Such arrogance!

“Who comes before us?” she asked with cold disdain. He would acknowledge her status or she would ignore him utterly.

“Your ladyship.” He averted his eyes respectfully. “I’m Jay Rogers from the Hive Relations Office. May I enquire whether you are the Queen Olivia who recently entered into a contract with Minister Llewellyn?”

Well, that was much more polite. “Yes, you may. And yes, I am. A bit of an insect, isn’t he? What’s he done?”

“I’m afraid I need to ask you some questions.” Jay turned, as though expecting her to follow him from the little deli-café with its delightful tea and morsels. Without so much as a please or an at your will.

“We spoke with him only briefly,” she informed him from her seat. “And did so on behalf of the ship which I no longer captain. If you have questions about his recent behaviors, you’d best direct them towards the newest Commander Ceridwen.”

He returned to her side, kneeling his penitence. Better. “He’s already underway on board the Ceridwen’s Cauldron, your ladyship. This is potentially a galactic security matter. Please.” He looked into her eyes, and she allowed his desperate gaze to hold hers. “Will you come with me and answer some questions?”

Galactic security. A long time had passed since she’d been embroiled in anything so dire. Well, she didn’t have anything important taking up her time anyway.

“If your needs are so great, we shall accommodate them.” She took a deliberate sip from her mug. “After tea.”